Published: October 24, 2025 at 8:56 am
Professional cricketer Marie Kelly has won a University Campus of Football Business Sports Entrepreneur Competition for her tech-enabled baseball cap.
The 29-year-old – who represents The Blaze and the Northern Superchargers in The Hundred – wowed the judges with her business, Versatail, a venture focused on developing caps designed specifically for women and girls in sport with trademarked technology to adjust the ponytail opening to suit a desired height and style.
Kelly wanted to solve an issue which has persisted with her and fellow players during her cricketing career. Her aim is to see female players being comfortable on the field, enabling them to perform to their highest potential.
The competition – inaugurated by UCFB to celebrate a decade of inspiring the next generation of sports business professionals in Manchester – gave aspiring sports innovators aged 18-30 based in the UK the chance to win £50,000 in value to support their business ideas with the potential to make a real impact in the industry.