Stone and Swynnerton Park (Stone SP) are delighted to announce their first competitive girls’ squad; the Stone SP Amazons.
Stone SP have been hosting cricket matches for over 150 years with the Stone ground having entertained Major Counties, international teams (Pakistan, South Africa and Australia) and welcomed a long list of international cricketers including Sir Garfield Sobers and Shane Warne.
Tracy Lovatt, Amazon’s manager, told A Little Bit of Stone:
“Girls have always been welcomed at Stone SP; my daughter has played since the age of six, but we’ve never had enough players to compete in the girls’ and women’s tournaments. Last season, we scheduled a dedicated girls’ training session and were delighted to see more and more girls each week. Winter training has been very successful, and the girls are now keen to play competitively”.
The Amazons have entered Staffordshire’s softball tournament and are planning to arrange hardball games against other girls’ teams, throughout the season. The girls, aged between 10 and 17 describe themselves as mixed ability, fielding novices alongside County players and ensuring that team selection is inclusive and developmental. “The best thing about playing for the Amazons is the team spirit”, states one young player “we learn from the more experienced girls and have improved so much over the winter, I was a little nervous when I first joined but last week I was selected to play cricket for my school, it’s really boosted my confidence”.
The Amazons train at Stone cricket club on a Friday night from 6.30 to 8.00pm and would welcome new players.
The Amazons are pictured here, at winter nets, wearing their club caps that were kindly sponsored by women at the club. They would be keen to hear from potential match shirt sponsors in advance of the coming season. Contact Tracy Lovatt (07972 399979) to discuss membership or sponsorship.
