In just one week’s time, WLCDG Women & Girls squad will be jetting off for a once-in-a-lifetime experience touring Barbados.
A busy schedule will see the squad playing three matches against a Barbados XI lineup at different venues across the Caribbean island.
With the tour just a few days away, squad captain Jemma McVey shares her thoughts:
Where did the inspiration for the tour come from?
The whole concept of the tour came from Damian Owen, Chairman of WLCDG.
He was inspired by a Barbados player, Aaliyah Williams, who played at Hightown Hurricanes before the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Following a chat between Damian and Aaliyah about touring the UK to help development, a seed was planted and it has grown from there.
Damian and the other members of the Executive Committee have worked incredibly hard to fundraise and organise this tour, for which I’m sure I’m not alone in being grateful for!
As captain, how are you feeling ahead of the tour?
I’m full of nervous excitement. The hours of planning and preparation will finally pay off.
The women and girls have worked hard over the summer season, with both training and building match experience.
I’m excited to see everyone play to the best of their ability and the hard work come to fruition.
All tour party members have really come together this season, it’s been a massive squad effort and I’m looking forward to experiencing a trip of a lifetime with them all!
How do you think the players will benefit from the experience?
The experience is going to be hugely beneficial to all.
Every team has strengths and weaknesses, and every match you play is a learning opportunity, which I hope all sides will grab with both hands.
I hope that it will give chances to develop relationships internationally that we can all benefit from in the future.
For our WLCDG women and girls, this is a huge privilege – we will get to see a part of the game that most grassroots players will never experience, a tour.
The days spent in Barbados will give us all the chance to develop skills, learn from professional players, be tested by playing in conditions that we may not be used to and continue to strengthen the squad.
How does it feel to have the Lancashire players providing coaching and mentoring?
I was blown away when I found out they were coming and I think some of our girls were a little star-struck at the first training session with Ellie and Dani too!
The fact both Ellie & Dani are willing to give up their time to support WLCDG women & girls is amazing, the game is desperate for investment and having them alongside us to tap into their knowledge and experience is massively beneficial.
Personally, I’m hoping to draw on Ellie’s captaincy expertise from her experiences with Lancashire Thunder!
I know all the women and girls are super excited to draw on all coaching and mentoring advice that both Dani and Ellie will bring – it will probably be some of the only times in the 10 days that everyone is quiet!
What would you consider to be a successful tour?
As the captain of a squad with a diverse age range and skill set, it’s difficult to pick one thing!
However, success for me is everyone coming away from each match having learnt something about their game and building on it for the next.
I want each and every woman and girl to fly home, with a smile on their face, knowing that they can take something from the tour into their next cricket season that will strengthen their game.
I hope they share stories that show our passion for the game that could also inspire more women and girls to get involved in cricket.
A few wins out there would just be the cherry on top!
