A group of budding female cricketers from Reading will begin their quest to play at Lord’s next month.
The charitable arm of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has launched a project aimed at giving students at state schools the opportunity to play the sport.
The MCC Foundation Hubs programme gives more than 3,200 state school children in 77 locations across the country access to free weekly cricket sessions, mental health training, nutrition awareness and strength and conditioning.
The Reading Girls’ Hub was set up three years ago with 16 girls selected for this year’s programme.
Sessions are held at The Forest School in Winnersh, run by a team of coaches, including former England international Beth Morgan, and aim to give girls the chance to develop their skills, love of the game and increase the numbers playing cricket.
Nearly a third of those who take part in the programme across the UK are girls, up from 16% in 2019.
MCC Foundation Hubs Lead for Reading and Slough, Adam Davidson, said: “The programme is vital to helping girls get into the game given there are limited opportunities for them to play in school.
“We’ve seen the interest in the girls’ programme grow over the last couple of years and those who have been with us in that time have really improved. The programme is now a pathway for those girls who are good enough and have the ability to play at a higher level.”
The team are now preparing to take part in a national competition against other hubs across the UK.
If they make it, the final will take place at Lord’s on Saturday, July 29.
Raabia Akhter, one of the coaches on the programme, said: “It’s really important these girls get the opportunity to play cricket, and the MCC Foundation Hubs programme does that.
“It’s not just about the cricket though. The programme helps the girls improve their confidence, they get to meet new people and you can also see the benefits that being part of a team gives them.
“I’ve really seen the bonds that have built between the girls over the last 10 weeks and for them to get to Lord’s would be a dream come true.”
For more information on the MCC Foundation Hubs programme and how to get involved in cricket, log on to: https://www.lords.org/mcc/mcc-foundation
