Great day at Chance to Compete U12s Schools competition
We had a fantastic day at the Chance to Compete Schools Under 12s mixed competition held at Frankwell in Shrewsbury organised in conjunction with Chance to Shine.
Milly’s World Cup at the double
Former Shropshire batter Milly Home is looking forward to watching the progress of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup – while preparing for a major tournament of her own.
After coming through the Age Groups and playing for Shropshire Women and Central Sparks, Milly has swapped her cricket bat for a lacrosse stick and is now England’s vice-captain.
She is in full training for the Lacrosse World Cup which is due to be played in Japan next month – but is still hoping to catch some of the T20 World Cup cricket action despite her busy schedule.
Milly was a prolific batter for Shropshire during her age group career and comes from a family with real cricket pedigree in the county.
Dad Ed is a former Shropshire player who is now Director of Cricket for the county club, older brother Charlie is Shropshire skipper while younger brother Jack is just starting out on his professional career with Worcestershire.
When she was 17 she joined the Warwickshire Academy and captained their Under 17 team whilst also playing for the Women’s XI.
That led to her being selected for the Central Sparks in 2020 as the women’s game went professional while she was at Birmingham University, and she played for them for two and a half years before moving to London to train to be an accountant.
“That’s where the switch came. I started playing lacrosse when I was at school (Moreton Hall near Oswestry) and was selected for England for the U19 World Cup during my last year at school.
“After that I focused on cricket but was still in their system and was in the Under 23s. When the cricket came to a stop for me, I went back to lacrosse and joined the senior women’s programme and I’m now the England vice-captain.
“We fly out to Tokyo on July 18 for the World Cup which is really exciting.”
With lacrosse becoming an Olympic sport in 2028 in the USA, there could be the chance for further international recognition for Milly with the GB squad.
“My focus is on England and the World Cup at the moment, what with that and training for my ACA it is pretty full on. But after the World Cup I may look to transition to the GB squad aiming to qualify for the Olympics.”
But she is hoping to find time to watch some of the cricket World Cup and seeing some familiar faces in action.
“I will be watching when I can, I know a few of the girls involved who I’ve played against over the years.”
The highlights of her cricket career for Shropshire include playing for the County U17s as a 15-year-old against a Lancashire side including Emma Lamb and Ellie Threkeld.
“Emma Lamb scored a hundred in a T20, and I remember watching her and thinking she was quality, and we ended up beating them – I don’t think they had been beaten all season so that was a high.
“I scored my first 50 when I was about 14 against Dorset which was cool, and my first 100 came against Oxfordshire at Worfield where I had played a lot of cricket for the women’s side, that was pretty special.”
Milly has been impressed with the growth in the women’s game in recent years.
“I was involved in the very early stage of the professional game – I think there were five contracted players at the Sparks. Now all the Tier One clubs are full time.
“You’ve got competitions like the 100 and it’s a great platform for women’s game and people actually want to go and watch. It’s breaking that mould a little bit which is good.
“Then you have the Women’s IPL which has been incredible and the Australian system is quite mature now which is great for the sport.”
She is looking forward to the cricket where she thinks Australia and India will be strong along with hopefully England.
Player wise, Laura Wolvaardt, Ash Gardner, Marizanne Kapp (she looks a seriously frightening bowler says Milly) and Jemimah Rodrigues are among those she is looking forward to seeing in action.
Milly also thinks England have a great coach in Charlotte Edwards.
“I was lucky enough to have her as a coach when I played in the School Games and she was phenomenal. She was so impressive and made a real impression on us.
“She has a good balance of bringing in youngsters and giving them opportunities alongside the established players who have the experience.”
Although Milly is hoping to watch the cricket, her lacrosse training is taking up a lot of her time.
“We’re training six days out of seven and some days there’s a double session – and obviously I have to fit a 9-5 in there too!
“We do cast some quite envious glances over at the girls playing sport professionally like the cricketers. There’s doctors, accountants, lawyers and an investment banker on our lacrosse team – we just think imagine if this could be our full-time jobs.”
Women’s XI heading to T20 final at Arundel
Cricket Shropshire’s Women’s XI are heading to the prestigious Arundel Castle later this month to play in the national final of their Vitality Blast T20 campaign against Dorset.
Eve hoping to see ICC T20 World Cup shocks
Shropshire’s Eve Jones is looking forward to watching the ICC T20 World Cup – and thinks it could be an exciting tournament with one or two shocks along the way.
The Lancashire opener was one of the pioneers of the Women and Girls’ cricket in Shropshire when she selected for the county’s very first Women’s XI when she was 10.
She played through the county Age Groups in Shropshire before going on to represent Staffordshire, Lancashire and then Central Sparks as one of the first professional women cricketers in the country before returning to Old Trafford last Summer.
During that time, she has seen the game develop and grow – and is hoping that this World Cup will raise the profile even further and attract more women and girls to get involved.
She was at the opening game at Edgbaston between England and Sri Lanka on Friday night with her Lancashire colleagues to see former team-mate Danni Wyatt-Hodge hit a brilliant century.
The following day she followed it up with a century of her own – reaching the milestone with a six – although Lancashire were just edged out by Warwickshire.
And she is looking forward to seeing more games during the tournament including the clash between Scotland and Sri Lanka at Old Trafford with her club arranging for the Lancashire Women’s side to watch from a box at the ground.
She said: “It’s really exciting to see the World Cup being played in this country – and I think there could be one or two upsets with the Associate sides like Scotland and the Netherlands.
“I remember the effect staging the 2017 tournament in this country had when England won and hopefully this can take the interest to another level again.”
Eve was born and bred in Shropshire and alongside her sister Meg started playing cricket at Whitchurch where her dad Rod (all pictured left) was playing and coaching when she was about four.
“I played in all the Age Groups through to the women’s XI. It was a dream come true to play in the girls’ teams as a youngster – before that Meg and I had been playing in the boys’ teams.
“In those days you used to get a letter in the post to say you’d been selected for the Women’s team. I remember Meg got hers first and I didn’t get one and I thought ‘Oh no, I didn’t get in’.
“Then mine arrived about a week later, it must have got lost in the post – I just remember being so excited to play for Shropshire, my first steps on the ladder. I just remember having fun and really enjoying it. It was a dream come true.”
She remembers the friendships made as one of the best things about being part of the team.
“I was the baby of the side. One of the first games we piled into a minibus and went Warwickshire. They batted first and got plenty and then we were dismissed for about 20. But I remember if really well and it just grew from.
“I also remember going to Taunton for the festival spending a few days there which was so much fun, that was the highlight of the year – just having a laugh with everyone and playing a bit of cricket.”
During her career she has seen big changes in the Women & Girls’ game
“I think going professional was a massive step for the women’s game – it was something I didn’t expect to see during my era. I feel very fortunate to be involved in that.
“And again moving from regional back to aligning with the counties has been positive. It is on a level playing field now, the way we get treated now at Lancashire is exactly the same as the men – we really feel part of the club, it is very professional and has really pushed the game forward.
“The standard is improving year on year. Even at the grand old age of 33 I feel like I’m still getting better. Especially in the T20 format, the game is moving forward so quickly you can’t stand still.
“I’ve really had to develop the power aspect of the game. When I was young it was all about technique but now they’re playing ramps and all the funky shots and technique comes later.”
With lots of games on television during the World Cup, Eve is hoping it encourages lots of young girls and boys to get involved in the game.
“Hopefully it will inspire them to get involved. Not just in playing, but there’s umpiring and scoring – you don’t necessarily have to play but you can be involved in the game.”
Eve is hoping to see some new stars emerge during the World Cup – and thinks her Lancashire team-mate Darcey Carter could have a breakthrough tournament at the top of the order for Scotland.
“I’ve seen what she can do at Lancashire so I’m excited to see how she gets on during the tournament.”
She is also pleased to see Danni Wyatt-Hodge get a good start to the tournament for England, and thinks Australia are the team to beat with such a powerful batting line up.
“They had Nic Carey batting at nine the other day, in any other side she would be in the top five. Their batting is stacked.”
Her semi-final line-up includes Australia, India and England – and she is hoping they will be joined by one of the smaller countries involved.
“I’d love to see one of the smaller nations, whether that be Scotland or Ireland, have an absolute blinder, cause a few upsets and get to the semis.”
Shrewsbury School U15s in national One Day Cup semi-finals
A brilliant 142 off 119 balls from Gurveen Singh Athwal helped Shrewsbury School U15s cruise into the national semi-final of their One Day Cup with victory over Greshams’ School from Lincolnshire.
Ruben’s 6-6 helps U14s to victory
A remarkable spell of bowling from Ruben Pembleton helped Cricket Shropshire’s Under 14 boys to a dramatic one wicket victory over Huntingdonshire at Wellington CC.
He returned figures of 7.4-3-6-6 as the visitors were bowled out for 60 after they won the toss and chose to bat first.
But the Shropshire batters fared little better in the reply as they crashed to 36-9 in reply.
But Andreas Davis stood firm and was joined in the middle by Freddie Roberts as the pair added a crucial 25-run partnership for the last wicket to claim the win. Davis finished unbeaten on 17.
Pembleton was again in the wickets as Shropshire beat Herefordshire by seven wickets.
He took 4-16 while Ali Khan claimed 3-7 and Rufus Davies 2-15 as the hosts were bowled out for 79.
The Shropshire reply stuttered early on as they found themselves 22-3 – but Reuben Kundu (30 not out) and Daniel Ball (26 not out) ensured there were no more scares as they saw their side to the win.
They lost by 37 runs when they hosted Staffordshire at Bomere Heath.
Batting first, the visitors racked up 258-3 from their 45 overs. In the reply, Eli Graves hit 51 and Lucas Lane 42 with George Randall chipping in with 26 as Shropshire finished on 221-9.
The Under 13 Boys were also involved in a dramatic game when they hosted North Wales at Whittington – it ended in a tie.
Batting first, Shropshire were bowled out for 235 with Jayden Joseph top scoring with 40, Elliott Weaver making 38, Adam Humphreys hitting 37 and George Lowther chipping in with 21.
Joseph led the way with the ball claiming 3-25 from seven overs, including the crucial final over, as North Wales finished their 40 overs on 235-7.
North Wales had gone into the over needing just four runs to win, but Jospeh took a wicket and then conceded just three runs to earn his side the tie.
They eased to victory when they travelled to Pentland Gardens to take on Herefordshire.
Batting first they made 275-5 from their 40 overs with Kyle Rudge hitting an unbeaten 73 from 54 balls while Edward Simkin chipped in with 37, Elliott Weaver made 33, Edward Martin 39 and Jospeh unbeaten on 34 from just 16 balls.
They then bowled Herefordshire out for 95 with Rafay Rehman taking 2-11, Joseph Stanton 2-18 and Harry Giffard 2-36.
The Under 15 Boys enjoyed a big win when they hosted Warwickshire’s Under 15 Development side at Bridgnorth CC.
Batting first, contributions all the way down the order saw them finish on 315 as they were bowled out off the last ball for their 50 overs.
Opener Dylan Barkley top scored with 58 off 53 balls, Jake Adams made 45, George Jenkins hit 44 with Ben Reed (21), Harry Dillon (24), Harry Harrison (29) and Ralph Davies (23) all chipping in.
In reply, the Bears were bowled out for 154 with Hugo Bebb claiming 3-24, Davies 3-35 and Reuben Kundu 2-29.
The Under 15 Girls were beaten twice in two tight T20 games when they travelled to Brockhampton to take on Herefordshire.
In the first game the hosts batted first and finished their innings on 131-6 with Abigail Tomlinson claiming 2-23 and Mills Jones 2-10.
In the reply Lexi Thavenot hit 46 off 41 balls and Gouri Cherukuri made 23, but Shropshire finished on 127-2 – four runs shy of victory.
In the second game, Shropshire were dismissed for 108 with Cherukuri top scoring with an unbeaten 33. Herefordshire reached their victory target with an over to spare to claim the win by four wickets despite Annabelle Jackson’s 2-18.
The Under 14 girls were knocked out of the County One Day KO Cup when they travelled to Barnards Green to take on Worcestershire.
After being put into bat, they were dismissed for 135 with Mills Jones unbeaten on 63. Worcestershire claimed the victory for the loss of two wickets.
Skipper Millie Parry hit an impressive 93 from 61 balls when the Under 18 girls made the long trip to Crook CC to take on Durham.
It helped her side to 126-6 from their 20 overs. In reply the hosts reached their victory target with nine balls to spare with Amy Connelly claiming 3-23 and Alice Deacon 2-11.
The Under 18s Boys were involved in a couple of high scoring games when they travelled to Banbury to take on Oxfordshire and Herefordshire in the ECB T20 Group Five.
Batting first against Herefordshire, Shropshire finished on 140-5 with Harry Parton making 41 off 32 balls, Krrish Chadha 38 and Morgan Ward 20.
In the reply, Ralph Davies took 2-23 and Harry Turley-Salmons 2-16, but Herefordshire knocked off the winning runs with nine balls to spare.
In the next game against Oxfordshire, the hosts batted first and hit 191-4 from their allocation, Turley-Salmons again picking up two wickets.
In the reply, Shropshire fell short by 14 runs with Turley-Salmons hitting an unbeaten 52 and Harrison Vaughan 44.
They struggled again when they travelled to Eastnor to take on Herefordshire and Staffordshire.
In the opening game against Herefordshire, they were bowled out for 106, Alfie Briggs hitting 39 and Alex Heath 22. The hosts knocked off the runs for the loss of three wickets.
Staffordshire batted first in the next game and racked up 207-7 despite Turley-Salmons again bowling well, this time claiming 4-23. Shropshire were bowled out for 90.
The Under 16 Girls came out on the wrong side of a low-scoring encounter with Staffordshire at Leycett CC.
Batting first, Shropshire were dismissed for 91 with Ellie Barlow top scoring with an unbeaten 23.
In the reply, Staffordshire got over the line with one wicket to spare with Isabelle Crann claiming 3-22 and Charlotte Bell 2-7.
Albrighton claim first Furrows league win of season
Albrighton claimed their first win of the season in the Furrows East Shropshire Mid-Week League Division Two when they hosted Newport.
Scorer Holly heads to ICC Women’s T20 World Cup
Shropshire-based scorer Holly Eccleston is looking forward to experiencing the atmosphere of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup this weekend.
Caitlin looking forward to T20 World Cup
It’s the start of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup at Edgbaston today with the Opening Ceremony and England taking on Sri Lanka.
With excitement building for the month-long tournament, we’ve been speaking to players who have come through the Shropshire pathway and have gone on to make their mark in the women’s game.
First up is opening bowler Caitlin Belcher who played for the Shropshire Age Group teams and also the Shropshire Women’s XI and is now part of the Gloucestershire Women’s squad.
She is looking forward to the tournament and believes it can provide a big boost for the Women and Girls’ game across the country.
Are you looking forward to the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup – and are you planning to attend any games (where, when)?
I’m super excited for a home women’s World Cup! It will hopefully be huge for the growth of the women’s game. I will be attending the opening game at Edgbaston today.
What’s your cricket background and connection to Shropshire (pathway etc)?
I got into cricket through Chance to Shine at primary school and haven’t looked back since! I was scouted aged 10 for county and played for Shropshire for over 10 years, all the way through to the women’s XI.
What are your favourite memories of playing in/for Shropshire?
One of my most favourite memories playing for Shropshire was our two-day trip up to Cumbria and Northumberland to play their U15 girls side. A players vs parent game in the evening was why I stopped being a wicket keeper and am now an opening bowler!
Where are you playing now?
I currently play cricket for Gloucestershire Women in the tier 2 set up.
How have you seen the Women & Girls game grow in recent years?
The growth of the women and girl’s game has been huge. For women to be able to be full time professionals without playing international cricket is phenomenal.
What impact can you see the World Cup having on the game in Shropshire and beyond?
I hope the World Cup inspires young girls and boys to take up cricket in Shropshire.
Which players are you looking forward to seeing and why?
I’m most looking forward to seeing Lauren Bell as she’s been consistently taking wickets for England with the new ball. I think she will cause some problems for other team’s batters!
Who do you think will make the semi-finals?
I think England, New Zealand, India and Australia will be the four teams in the semi-finals.
Thanks to Caitlin for her time and good luck to her at Gloucestershire. Look out for more from our former and current Shropshire players during the tournament.
Affiliation package develops stronger links between club and schools
Delivering our Cricket Shropshire affiliation package with Worfield Cricket Club has once again proved a big boost to all involved.