Maddy Reynolds becomes The 1

The 18-year-old won the inaugural competition, designed by Lydia Greenway to find cricket's next best female allrounder

For most teenage cricketers, to have a sponsorship deal and backing of a former England international is just a dream, but for Maddy Reynolds, inaugural winner of The 1, it’s a reality. 

The 18-year-old triumphed in the multi-format competition, created by Lydia Greenway, to find the country’s next star female allrounder with some superb prizes, such as a sponsorship deal, on offer. 

Entries flooded in and following a fiercely competitive day of cricketing challenges, Reynolds, who plays for Mildenhall Women (Suffolk) and Ketteringham Hall men (Norfolk), was crowned the winner. 

The competition brought together some of the brightest young female cricketers who were tested in a cricket combine, with challenges set to test certain attributes such as power-hitting, batting accuracy, high-catching and bowling accuracy.

For Reynolds, entering was a no-brainer. “My dad pointed it out having seen it in The Cricketer and said I should do it. I didn’t need much convincing and signed up immediately,” Reynolds tells The Cricketer. 

^{The 1 winner Maddy Reynolds with Lydia Greenway, who founded the competition}

“The allrounder element is what really made me want to go for it. I’ve always enjoyed all parts of the game. When I first started playing I loved fielding then the batting and bowling came later. I love throwing myself around in the field. 

“To be able to showcase my talents and be up against other good players competitively was great.” 

The 1 is another example of Greenway’s dedication to furthering opportunities for young female cricketers, alongside her Girls Cricket Club and Cricket For Girls initiatives. 

Upon the competition’s launch, the former England international told The Cricketer: “The 1 has been created to put a twist on cricket to make it more exciting for young girls, both those who are already involved in the game and those who aren’t. It allows the girls to have a lot of fun in a competitive environment. 

“It’s really got a bit of X Factor about it.” Greenway imparted her significant knowledge onto the participants, much to Reynolds’ appreciation. 

“She was a great help throughout the day,” Reynolds says of Greenway. “She led the warm up then chatted to all of us individually. It was a great experience to listen to her tips and advice. It helped you feel calmer as it was a nervous experience at times.” 

The competition was designed to test the players, especially when under pressure. Points were scored for each challenge and updates throughout the day of the current leaders turned up the tension. 

“We were told who was in the top five at points throughout the day but the names were different each time, it changed so drastically.” 

Reynolds’ final challenge was the bowling accuracy challenge and the task was simple; bowl the perfect yorker. 

“Before our last ball in the yorker challenge there was one point between the frontrunners,” Reynolds continues. 

She knew that if she nailed the perfect delivery then the title would be hers. 

“I hadn’t done as well as I should have on the bowling. My batting accuracy and hitting were my strongest challenges but I got it on the last ball.” 

Reynolds’ faultless execution under extreme pressure delivered the win, with Bella Johnson, who attends Colchester County High School for Girls and plays for Colchester and East Essex, in second and Rhia Sedha, Allerton High School and Shadwell Cricket Club, in third. 

^{Reynolds with Bella Johnson and Rhia Sedha, who finished second and third respectively}

Greenway’s design of the competition worked perfectly, as competitors needed to execute their skills under pressure to win, just like in matches. 

Reynolds receives a custom hand-made bat, a 12-month kit sponsorship with Kookaburra, one-to-one coaching with top internationals, a training day with a professional women’s cricket team and media training with a leading sports PR agency following her victory and will head up to the Kookaburra factory in December. 

The future is very bright for the teenager, who is in her final year of sixth form, and the plan is to further her cricketing education at university. 

“I’ve always wanted to take my cricket as far as it can possibly go. Hopefully I’ll be going to university next year, near a first-class county I hope! 

“I’ve been looking at Loughborough, Birmingham and Chichester, all places linked to counties where I can play cricket at a higher level.” 

Greenway told The Cricketer: “It would be great if we could unearth a gem,” and in Reynolds The 1 have certainly done that. 

With the profile of women’s cricket soaring in the past few years, and more professional opportunities than ever before, it is well worth keeping an eye on her.

To register your interest in entering The 1 2022, visit www.girlscricketclub.com/the-one