The Cricketer Magazine – June 2018

Why I love cricket

Mark

kolbe/Getty I

Ma

Ges

Interview by

Bradley West

I have an older brother and anytime I

wanted to play with him I had to keep

up. He’s four years older than me and, as

kids, I was always running around in the

field, whacking the ball back to him. I kind

of got involved in every sport as a child.

At school, and this was about 25 years

ago, we played Kwik Cricket. We were in

our local playground. We used to bowl up

towards the sheds so the ball wouldn’t go

running out into the road – how crazy is

that? It has changed massively now but it

was great fun.

Freddie Flintoff was my hero. back

during my a levels, I watched cricket

to get out of revising and it would be on

all day. It was the years when Freddie

Flintoff was a superstar and I just became

absolutely hooked. Freddie was the star.

there was something about him and the

way he acted in that series, it just gave you

a real buzz. these sort of personalities

and athletes that make up the mix in team

sports, I love it.

I’m a big fan of Anya Shrubsole too.

I know anya and I thought at the 2017

Women’s World Cup she was amazing.

she made such a difference and she was

absolutely insane that day [during the

final at lord’s, with a late spell of 5 for

11]. What a day it was at lord’s as well,

there was a real buzz. I remember being

asked if this was a turning point [for

women’s sport] that day and I said that I

really hoped it was. but we’ve had these

sort of moments before, we’re having

these major turning points but I think

we’ve still got so much more to do. the

international stuff is amazing but now I

think it is an opportunity to get people

understanding what is going on at a

domestic and local level.

From age 15 every other sport stopped.

Netball became the one thing. by that

age I was playing for different clubs, I was

playing at county level and I was starting

to get into the england system so it did

start to really take over. It didn’t mean

we didn’t watch and support cricket, and

other sports, though.

My dad actually grew up around the

corner from Grace Road. He was a

bit of a cricketer, or so he tells me. He

was a spinner but I don’t know how

good he was. My parents have been so

instrumental in giving us the opportunity

to see lots of sports, cricket included in

the summer.

When I was in Australia [playing netball

for the Queensland Firebirds], we used

to go and watch the cricket there. this

was in brisbane and, actually, we trained

at the same training centre as the cricket

guys. all sports have always been quite

involved in my life whether I’ve been

playing, coaching or just watching and

cricket is no exception. When I was at

bath, at university, I used to go down and

see a few cricket games there too.

I was down at Gray-Nicolls with Jonny

Bairstow a couple of years ago. He got

me in the nets doing some wicketkeeping.

obviously I back myself on the catching,

I was in there and I was like “this is great,

put it to the real speed now” and he was

like “no”. I said, “seriously, I’ll be fine,” to

which he responded “seriously, tamsin,

step out of the nets”. I stepped out of the

nets and he set it [the bowling machine]

to 80mph and he went, “if that hits you,

it’s going to knock you out”, I thought

“yep, I’m not getting back in there”. I did

trust him before but after that I definitely

trusted him.

My daughter [Jamie] is at school now,

she’s five, and she’s getting a whole

heap of opportunities to play different

sports. I think it just shows the beauty

of any sport, you can play it wherever,

whenever and get a whole group of

people together. she hasn’t yet [played

any cricket] but she’s very good at the

throwing and catching. We throw and

catch a lot.

The Ashes is on my bucket list. I’ve

never been to a live ashes test. the

problem is that when you play and coach,

you’re normally playing or coaching or

touring or doing something else around

the world when it is on, so I’ve never

actually got to go. but it is on my bucket

list and at some point I’ll actually get to

go and watch. Netball often clashes with

going to the cricket as we’re always on

tour but I’m hoping now that I get a bit

more free time, I’ll have a chance.

I’d love to go on a tour and watch games

overseas. I’ve watched county cricket

and I’ve been out in australia watching

the sheffield shield, but I’ve always

wanted to go out and watch the Indian

Premier league. the atmosphere there

looks insane. I think that’ll be my ultimate

goal. there are lots of little bits and bobs

around the world that I’d like to see, but

to go to India and watch that, I think that

would be incredible. I love a bit of t 20

cricket.

Sky Sports and the Women’s Sport Trust

have partnered to encourage everyone

to show up and support women in sport

by watching, attending or playing this

summer. Be a part of the campaign by

sharing your experiences of women’s

sport on social media using #ShowUp

Former England netball player Tamsin Greenway,

now director of netball at Wasps, has trained with

Jonny Bairstow and wants to go on an Ashes tour

Below

Tamsin Greenway

during the 2015

Netball World Cup

in Australia

32 | thecricketer.com