On a cold evening in January, a group of girls meet in a sports hall in west Birmingham. One of the girls waits patiently with a big smile on her face. Lacey, a bright and warm eleven year old, has attended almost every Street session since her enrolment in 2023, but, as she proficiently begins to bat and bowl, it’s hard to believe that she was completely new to cricket two years ago.
Lacey’s cricketing journey began at the nearby Bromley-Pensnett Primary. With over half of pupils facing economic challenges and in receipt of free school meals, the school had been selected by Worcestershire Cricket as a perfect candidate for the Chance to Shine programme.
Initially timid, Lacey’s confidence grew, and signposted to free, weekly sessions at her local Chance to Shine Street club, decided to continue her journey. Two years later she’s not only fallen in love with the game, but represented her club at the National Street Cricket Finals in Nottingham.
The competition brings together participants from Chance to Shine’s Street programme all over the UK, with three separate finals days in Nottingham for girls, young adults and youth sections. The tapeball format is fast, frantic and full of fun. She even picked up a couple of wickets along the way.
“The Nottingham trip was the best part for me, because she did well. Better than well,’ says coach Jamie with the deepest sincerity. He credits Lacey’s success to her determination and perseverance, saying that she put in a lot of effort to learn how to bowl before the competition. “It was exciting, but I was a bit nervous! I felt really good that we’d done well!” she exclaims.
Lacey’s mum, Sian, continues: “Cricket is the only sport she has carried on with. She’s always here and she always says, ‘Is cricket on?’, and you can see the disappointment in her face if it’s not.“She had never played cricket until she came to these sessions. You can see the progress she’s made in it, and she knows that she is getting better”.
Batting is Lacey’s favourite discipline. “It feels really good (to hit the ball) and, because you’ve hit it where you wanted to, you get more runs” she explains, thoughtfully.
Perhaps more importantly, Lacey’s new found confidence has also led her to meet Erin – her new best friend. Through cricket, they discovered they were starting the same secondary school, an otherwise intimidating experience, and they have been inseparable since. “It has done wonders for her,” Jamie admits, referencing Lacey’s friendship with Erin.
After an hour, the girls’ session ends, but Lacey doesn’t leave. She is about to embark on yet another hour of cricket, this time at the mixed session. This sees the addition of her younger brother, who, along with sister Isla, was inspired to enrol by Lacey.
If it wasn’t for these fully-funded, weekly sessions, Lacey and her siblings would not have the chance to regularly take part in sports outside of school. “The coaches coming to do this every week, and it being free, that’s what’s helped me get all the kids here,” says Sian, who has five children, including Lacey, “they did karate before, but it got too expensive.” She has no doubt that her two youngest children will also take part when they’re old enough.
As for Lacey, her new found love for the game will continue. “All she wants to do now is cricket!” smiles Sian.
