At the Home of Cricket recently, the dreams of one young girl came true, when Ella, one of Middlesex in the Community’s (MITC) Disability Super 1s participants, was given the honour of being the coin toss mascot ahead of England Women’s One Day International clash against India Women at Lord’s, which was covered live on Sky Sports Cricket.
MITC’s Super 1s programme, run in partnership with and funded by Lord’s Taverners, now sees the Club running five regional Super 1s hubs across the county, with each hub holding free weekly cricket sessions for people of all disabilities, both physical and learning, aged between 12 and 25 years.
An important part of the Super 1s programme is that it not only provides inclusive cricket opportunities, but it also provides further life skills sessions, which are built into the programme, to ensure all participants not only benefit from the enjoyment of playing cricket but also benefit from wider development of them as individuals, with positive impacts to participants’ physical and mental well-being in an environment that helps them make friends in the company of positive role models.
This is no better evidenced than with the story of Ella, who has been actively involved in one of MITC’s Super 1s hubs for almost a year, having first joined the programme in November 2024 and having now been to over 20 Super 1s cricket sessions.
Her confidence has grown to the point that she now often supports the coaches with the warm-ups and helps set up the games that are played throughout the sessions.
Ella’s Father, Richard, commented:
“Being involved with Super 1s has been an enormously positive experience for Ella in multiple ways. Having an opportunity to play and learn the game of cricket in a first-class, tailored environment with qualified coaches has meant she has developed new skills. In particular, we have seen a big improvement in her hand eye co-ordination, catching and throwing skills over the last few months.
“Ella loves taking part in the weekly sessions with Daisy and Matthias (two of Middlesex in the Community’s coaches) and outside of training she is developing a keen interest in the game. She now watches and looks out for the various England teams' results, and this gives her a new hobby and interest.
“She has also been incredibly lucky to have the opportunity, via the programme, to participate in organised events and international matches at Lords recently.”
Ella lists Callum Flynn, Nat Sciver-Brunt and Harry Brook as her favourite players, and thanks to Lord’s Taverners and her involvement in Super 1s, she has been lucky enough to meet two of her heroes this season, when she met Flynn at Lord’s during the England v India Pan-Disability series, and when she met Sciver-Brunt at the toss ahead of the Women’s ODI.
Speaking of Ella’s progress since joining Super 1s programme, Daisy Meadowcroft added:
“Ella is a shining example of everything that the Super 1s programme was set up to achieve. She is an absolute delight to coach and is a ray of sunshine in all the sessions we hold.
“She has developed a real love of the game, has met her icons, and as an individual has changed week by week the more involvement she has had in the programme.
“For Ella to meet her heroes at Lord’s this year was a dream come true, and I’m so proud that Middlesex in the Community has been able to play a part in her development and happiness.
“Our thanks of course go to the Lord’s Taverners, who continue to provide funding for the programme, and we are extremely grateful to be able to deliver our Super 1s programmes with their invaluable support.”
Anyone interested in joining one of Middlesex in the Community’s Super 1s hubs and giving it a go themselves, should contact Matthias Winter by email for further details, with hubs delivering sessions weekly in Enfield, Finchley, Hackney, Richmond and Ealing.
