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Ashli dreams of making it big
…Thirteen-year-old female cricketer eyes the big time
BY PAUL A REID Observer West writer
Thursday, January 27, 2011
…Thirteen-year-old female cricketer eyes the big time
BY PAUL A REID Observer West writer
Thursday, January 27, 2011
SAV-LA-MAR, Westmoreland — SUCCESS breeds success and following in the footsteps of Jamaica's Stephanie Taylor and Shanel Daley on the West Indies women's cricket team, another potential star is quietly biding her time to shine.
Thirteen-year-old Mannings School first-former Ashli Grant has been keeping a close watch on the success of Taylor, the number two-ranked female batter in the world.
GRANT... I am fast, I bowl fast
GRANT... I am fast, I bowl fast
GRANT... I am fast, I bowl fast
1/1
The 5' 9" player, who is a teammate of Taylor on the Westmoreland women's team, has been writing her own story and is confident that soon she will be among the top players in the island.
A bowling all-rounder she has best figures of four wickets for 11 runs including a hat-trick while representing Enfield Primary in a game against Holly Hill Primary.
She was also a member of the Enfield team that won the all-island primary schools title in 2009. When asked if she bowled at slow medium pace, she firmly but politely said: "No, I am fast; I bowl fast."
A student with an 8.7 (out of 10.0) average who is on the most recent honour roll at Mannings, Grant told the Observer West she does not play any other sport, "just cricket, because I love the game".
Asked about netball, she just shrugged and said, "It is not enjoyable enough like cricket".
Her love of the male-dominated sport came from her father Oliver, her first and only coach who heads the sports department at Knockalva Technical and who is also a student at GC Foster Sports College.
The Grants, who appeared to have a close bond, are facing a new hurdle as Mannings does not have a female cricket team and they were not certain if she would be allowed to play on the school's team alongside boys.
A check with the Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) organisers of sports in high schools confirmed however, that she would be able to represent the school at the Under-16 level.
George Forbes, competitions co-ordinator at ISSA, told the Observer West: "Up to age 16, girls are allowed to play high- school cricket."
So for the next three years, Ashli -- who names Sri Lankan Chaminda Vaas as her cricketing hero -- has her eyes set on honing her skills to a high level with the national and regional senior women's team being her longer-term goals.
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