Lydia Greenway launches The 1 – finding the next generation of talent

“It would be great if we could unearth a gem, it’s really got a bit of X Factor about it”

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The 1 is a brand new competition to find the next No.1 female allrounder.

Developed by ex-England allrounder Lydia Greenway and her online coaching platform the Girls Cricket Club, The 1 puts girls aged 12-18 through a series of challenges to test their batting, bowling and fielding skills. Points are scored for each challenge and the girl with the most points at the end is crowned the winner.

It will be a one-day event and will take place in Nottingham on Sunday September 5.

“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,” Greenway tells The Cricketer.

Cricket’s three disciplines are broken down into 10 challenges that test players’ abilities in all aspects of the game. For example, the batting challenges include ‘The Launcher’ where players try to hit the ball as far as they can, and ‘Target Zones’ requires the girls to place their shots around the wicket.

The winner will take home a trophy as well as a custom hand-made bat, a 12 month sponsorship deal, 1:1 coaching with top internationals, a training day with a professional women’s cricket team and media training with a leading sports PR agency.

“It would be great if we could unearth a gem,” Greenway continues, “it’s really got a bit of X Factor about it.”

“When we created the Girls Cricket Club, we said it was a platform for progression, not perfection. That really rings true with The 1. It’s about creating opportunities for talented, up-and-coming female cricketers to test themselves against their peers, show off what they can do and set their own benchmark within the sport. There’s no better way to grow than to challenge yourself and The 1 provides the perfect environment to do that, outside of the team set-up.

We are proud to announce our partnership with @GirlsCricketC in their search for cricket’s next number one female all-rounder 🥇

Find out more or register your interest at https://t.co/VyYaVFBFba pic.twitter.com/U2TUXtVE5l

— The Cricketer (@TheCricketerMag) July 19, 2021

“We all strive to be the best we can be and in a team sport often we’re making decisions that benefit the team, not so that we ourselves can stand out. This is an opportunity for girls to put their hand up and demonstrate that female cricket is exciting, skilful and full of promise.”

Greenway’s ambition for The 1 goes far beyond its first year. Running tournaments internationally could be the next step, but closer to home, the Girls Cricket Club founder hopes for The 1’s challenges to be a beneficiary teaching aid in schools.

“We have 10 challenges in total and each one could act as a lesson plan. They provide real measurables so teachers can test the pupils in a meaningful way and see how they are developing week after week.

“Sometimes cricket can have the perception to be long, boring, complicated and technical so straight away there are a few barriers to entry. We want to take them away and break cricket down into it’s core, simple and fun components.”

The 1 certainly does this, giving girls the freedom to develop their bowling action or batting stance without the fear of being hit for six or getting out.

The initiative will also provide a platform for girls who are aspiring to play at a higher level, and the grand prize certainly provides an incredible opportunity while decision-makers at clubs and counties will be sure to keep an eye on the star performers.

For more information on The 1 and the Girls Cricket Club head to www.girlscricketclub.com/the-one