Lydia Haines, from Studley, a second-year Sport student at the College, was selected to compete for England’s Under-17s in the Indoor Cricket competition. Her passion for cricket began at a young age, inspired by her father. Haines commented, “It runs in the family!”
She started training with a local team at nine but only took up indoor cricket this year. After playing with friends already involved with the England setup, Haines was invited to trial for the national team. She expressed shock and delight upon her selection for the world stage.
During her two weeks in South Africa, Haines competed in several matches, taking wickets against Australia and scoring valuable runs. Reflecting on the experience, she said, “I was really pleased with my performance; it was an incredible experience!” Haines performed incredibly well during the competition.
Looking ahead, Haines hopes to continue progressing in indoor cricket and aims to try out for the Under-22s team next. She believes her Sport course at the College has complemented her development, stating, “It has definitely benefited me, learning different communication styles and building a wider knowledge base on Sport in general; especially since I have some Cricket focused assignments so overall it has been a great fit alongside each other.”
Enrique Cardenas, Sport Lecturer at Stratford-upon-Avon College, praised Haines’ achievement and commitment. He commented, “We are immensely proud of Lydia and everything she has achieved. She is an outstanding ambassador for our Sport programme, demonstrating how commitment to education can go hand in hand with pursuing excellence in sport. We recognise the demands Lydia faces in balancing her academic commitments with a successful sporting career, particularly with the additional training and camp requirements associated with representing England. As a college, we are fully committed to supporting Lydia throughout her sporting journey and enabling her to pursue her ambitions while continuing to progress academically.”
Cardenas added, “It is especially rewarding to see Lydia applying the knowledge and skills developed through her Level 3 Sport programme to her own experiences as an athlete. Her achievements are a source of great pride for our Sport department and the wider college community. Congratulations, Lydia. We are all incredibly proud of you and look forward to following your continued success.”
