A Sport student from Stratford-upon-Avon College has enjoyed international success after representing England at the Cricket Junior World Series in South Africa.
Lydia Haines, from Studley, is in the second year of her Sport course at the College and was selected to compete for England’s Under-17s in the Indoor Cricket competition.
Lydia’s passion for cricket began at a young age, inspired by her father, who also plays the sport. She commented: “It runs in the family!”
She began training with a local team at the age of nine but only took up indoor cricket earlier this year. After playing alongside friends who were already part of the England set-up, Lydia was spotted and invited to trial for the national team. When the final squad was announced, Lydia was shocked and delighted to discover she had been selected to represent her country on the world stage.
Lydia spent two weeks in South Africa, competing in several matches and putting in some impressive performances, including taking wickets against Australia and scoring valuable runs. Reflecting on the experience, Lydia commented: “I was really pleased with my performance; it was an incredible experience!”
Lydia performed incredibly well during the competition
With the Junior World Series now behind her, Lydia is already looking ahead to the next challenge and hopes to continue progressing within indoor cricket. She added: “The Junior World Series is now finished for me so I’m looking forward to trying out for the Under 22’s team next.”
Alongside her sporting commitments, Lydia has continued with her studies and believes her Sport course has complemented her development as a cricketer. She explained: “It has definitely benefited me, learning different communication styles and building a wider knowledge base on Sport in general; especially since I have some Cricket focused assignments so overall it has been a great fit alongside each other.”
Looking to the future, Lydia hopes to continue playing cricket while pursuing a career as a PE teacher and/or cricket coach.
Sport Lecturer Enrique Cardenas praised Lydia’s achievement and the commitment she has shown to balancing her studies with competing at an international level. He commented: “We are immensely proud of Lydia and everything she has achieved. She is an outstanding ambassador for our Sport programme, demonstrating how commitment to education can go hand in hand with pursuing excellence in sport. We recognise the demands Lydia faces in balancing her academic commitments with a successful sporting career, particularly with the additional training and camp requirements associated with representing England. As a college, we are fully committed to supporting Lydia throughout her sporting journey and enabling her to pursue her ambitions while continuing to progress academically.
“It is especially rewarding to see Lydia applying the knowledge and skills developed through her Level 3 Sport programme to her own experiences as an athlete. Her achievements are a source of great pride for our Sport department and the wider college community.
“Congratulations, Lydia. We are all incredibly proud of you and look forward to following your continued success.”
