Shropshire-based Liv has grown up in a house where cricket has been a regular staple on the family TV. That background gave her some initial knowledge when the chance first arose to play at her school, Ercall Wood Academy.
“I started in Year 7,” she says. “It was my first ever game and Mum saw I was really interested in it, so she put me in the Dynamos programme straightaway. Then my coaches saw I had some potential and things started to push on from there.”
As well as playing for her school and Allscott Heath Cricket Club, she has recently completed a basic scoring course and helps the club’s coaches whenever the chance arises.
“Cricket’s such a competitive game, but there’s always huge respect between the two sides,” says Liv. “I really like how we all shake hands and talk afterwards. The game has helped my communication skills and enabled me to get to know different types of people.”
As captain of both Allscott Heath’s U12s girls’ team and vice captain of the u13 mixed junior team, Liv has also developed her leadership skills. So much so that when the captain of her school’s boys’ team broke his arm, the PE teachers took the remarkable step of asking Liv to fill the role in the interim period.
She’s also a leader off the field. Over the last 18 months, Liv has taken part in a Young Leaders course delivered by Shropshire Cricket Board, attended a Girls and Women’s Cricket Forum, and been given the role of Sports Prefect at her school. But she says the secret to attracting new people to cricket is remarkably straightforward.
“I just try to be enthusiastic because that excitement can spill over to others,” she says. “They can see it and react to it, and it gets them interested too.”
A talented all-rounder, she has major on-field ambitions for 2025. “I hope I can play for the U15s side and the third XI,” she says. “I’m also hoping County selectors can see some potential, and I could hopefully be moved up into the squad.”
Liv’s mum, Lisa, believes cricket has had an enormous impact on her daughter’s development. She says: “It’s made a huge difference in her confidence. Cricket’s an important team sport, but within it there’s also a chance to set individual targets and goals. Liv’s really, really strived to be the best she can be.
“Along the way, she’s faced a few setbacks. But that’s where cricket has given her resilience, determination, and self-belief. We’re incredibly proud of her.”
The 2025 season will see another opportunity for the brilliant volunteers at the heart of recreational cricket to be celebrated in next year’s Cricket Collective Awards. Cricket Boards in England and Wales will soon begin collecting nominations for this season. For more information on how you can nominate in your local area, check out your Cricket Board’s website or contact them for more details.
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