WONG’S IN FAST LANE
CRICKET
ISSY WONG has got in the fast lane to cricketing stardom – and will be in top gear for these Commonwealth Games.
So far this season England’s new quick bowler has made her Test and one-day international debuts, re-signed for The Hundred, and is now set to contest the inaugural Women’s T20 competition for Team England in her home city.
Wong, 20, said: “It’s been a crazy couple of weeks, playing for England in both red and white-ball cricket and now a Games in Birmingham.
“I never thought that I’d have the possibility of a medal around my neck. You do think about winning the Ashes, but not something like this.
“It’s going to be quite a competition – pretty tough. The World Cup is the only other time where you know that everyone is in the same place competing. It’s super-exciting.”
As a schoolkid Wong made history at Shrewsbury School by becoming the first female to play in the first XI. And charging in against the men is something that she enjoys today.
The bowler grew up at Knowle & Dorridge, a club on the outskirts of Solihull, just outside Birmingham. And life turned full circle for her recently.
She recalled: “A few weeks ago, I was due to play on Saturday but it got rained off. So I messaged my old coach at K&D, a guy called Tom Smith, who taught me since I was nine.
“I said, ‘You’re not looking for players tomorrow are you?’. Well, the 1sts had a T20 against Kenilworth and it was so good to play senior men’s cricket. I knew a lot of the players and to finally share a field with Tom was pretty sweet.
“And in men’s cricket they don’t come after my bowling as much – they don’t want to get out to me. It makes your figures look a lot healthier!”