Wiltshire Trio Return from Glamorgan Girls Academy Tour of India

Five of Wiltshire’s rising cricket stars—Flo, Poppy, Isla, Anna-Mae, and Katy—were selected to take part in a pre-season tour of India with the Glamorgan Girls Academy. The trip was designed to provide players with the chance to train and compete in challenging subcontinental conditions, gaining invaluable experience ahead of the English summer, with particular focus placed around batting against spin.

Unfortunately, Anna-Mae Shearn and Katy Cobb were unable to travel due to VISA complications, but both took time to develop their games in the UK. However, Flo, Poppy, and Isla were able to make the journey, embracing a unique opportunity to develop their skills in a high-intensity cricketing environment.

As part of Wiltshire Cricket’s ongoing partnership with Glamorgan, players have access to top-level coaching, facilities, and competitive opportunities, with this tour being a prime example. More information on this partnership can be found here.

A Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity

For Isla, being selected for the tour was both exciting and an opportunity to experience international conditions. “I was super excited to travel to India and train in different conditions with such high-quality coaching,” she said. Flo echoed this sentiment, calling it “awesome and exciting to get my first taste of what professional cricket would be like"

Their first impressions of India were striking. “It was very hot and incredibly busy, with so much going on. It felt very welcoming and the people we met were really kind” said Flo. Isla was equally captivated, noting that while India was less green than England, she was fascinated by the local teams playing on roadside pitches and the willingness of people to help out.

Poppy also embraced the experience, making the most of every training session and match opportunity. For Poppy, the tour of India was a paradise for her leg-spin bowling, where she was able to utilise the local conditions to her advantage and cause a high degree of challenge for all of the batters. When speaking about the tour, Poppy showed a clip of herself bowling an unplayable googly, which span from a long way outside off into leg-stump.

Challenging Playing Conditions

The Wiltshire trio agreed that the biggest difference compared to playing in England was the bounce and turn, particularly from spinners. Isla was impressed by the sheer degree of turn extracted by spinners, something she had never faced in the UK. “Both seamers and spinners could get bounce too, so I had to really adjust my game plan. Adapting to the bounce meant that backfoot play was key" - a gameplan that Isla has now developed ahead of the UK season starting in a few weeks.

Flo found the bounce and turn similarly challenging, noting that net bowlers had a lot of skill and that the conditions required a different approach. “I had to create a much clearer plan against spin, especially distinguishing between leg and off-spin due to the amount of turn. Sometimes the ball tended to stick a little in the wickets, but that may have been because of the amount of watering required to stop the nets from crumbling”

To cope with these challenges, all three Wiltshire players worked extensively on their sweeps, using a combination of conventional, slog, and reverse sweeps to counteract the conditions. “I had to develop my reverse sweep to give me a consistent boundary option,” said Flo. Isla added that she focused on adapting quickly to different deliveries and identifying a simple and concise game-plan for each bowler.

Learning from the Best

A highlight of the tour was the chance to work with top-level coaches, including Matthew Mott, the former Australian Women’s Head Coach and current England white-ball coach. Isla described an evening session with Mott as one of the most valuable experiences of the trip, particularly his insights into mental resilience and handling the challenges of cricket.

They also trained with local players, gaining exposure to different styles of play. “All of our net bowlers were local players, and they were all extremely talented,” said Flo. Isla added that an SPJ Academy coach provided insights on variations to counter the batting game plans, further enhancing their cricketing knowledge.

Throughout the tour, Poppy showed great adaptability, embracing the chance to train alongside local talent and international-level coaches. Her experience in India will undoubtedly help shape her performances for both Wiltshire and Glamorgan this summer. This tour, added to their previous experience of sub-continent conditions through a previous Wiltshire tour to Sri Lanka will undoubtedly have created memories for life and experiences that will shape their future cricketing careers as they aim for their first professional contracts in the years to come!

Looking Ahead to the Summer

Now back in the UK, all three Wiltshire players feel better prepared for the summer ahead. Isla emphasized how the tour taught her to be more flexible in adapting to conditions, while Flo now has a clearer plan against spin and a greater understanding of low-risk scoring options. Poppy continues to show very exciting skills with bat and ball and will be one to watch during the summer!

As they look forward to the new season with Wiltshire and Glamorgan, the experience gained in India will undoubtedly prove invaluable. “I can’t wait to get back on the field, play against new opposition, and showcase how good we are,” said Isla. For Flo, the priority is playing as many games as possible, taking lessons from both teams and sharing ideas between Wiltshire and Glamorgan.

For Poppy, the India tour was a crucial part of her preparation for the season ahead, helping her develop a greater understanding of match scenarios and individual game plans. She will be looking to carry that confidence into the summer, using the lessons learned in India to enhance her game.

With their skills sharpened and confidence high, the trio are set to rejoin Anna-Mae & Katy at Glamorgan Girls Academy, before all 5 rejoin the Wiltshire Women's squad too, as they prepare to make a big impact this summer—one that will be closely followed by both Wiltshire and Glamorgan supporters.
Supporters, spectators, friends and families are all welcome to attend the Wiltshire Women's games in the summer, as the team take on the brand-new MetroBank Competition, with fixtures played across Wiltshire!

For a list of the Wiltshire Women's Fixtures, click here!