When Durham, Southern Brave and England off-spinner Mady Villiers visited our Chance to Compete regional final last summer, it was not her first experience of the competition. Mady credits Chance to Compete as one of her earliest entry points into competitive cricket, having played in the tournament with her school as a child.
“I remember getting involved in a lot of cricket with Chance to Shine growing up, and a lot of the players that I play with now have similar stories.
“It gives the girls a taste of cricket and they enjoy it, which is so important. As long as they’re smiling, days like this should continue for a long time,” she says.
The regional finals day saw 12 teams from around Yorkshire, Teeside and Northumberland get involved in some friendly competition at the Riverside in Durham. The day gives girls the opportunity to build teamwork and resilience, alongside their cricketing skills.
Mady gets involved in the action with some of the girlsMady highlights how important early opportunities like this can be, particularly the chance to play on a professional outfield and meet role models – experiences that were rare when she was growing up. “Now these girls can see it’s a potential career.”
