ASDA Kwik Cricket - Stuart Broad & Katherine Brunt
Sarah Taylor (left) and Katherine Brunt flank a fan at Thurgarton.
©Cricket World® / Richard Reardon
England internationals Stuart Broad and Katherine Brunt spoke to Cricket World's Richard Reardon during the 2008 launch of ASDA Kwik Cricket at Thurgarton. For more information from the day,
click here.
Katherine Brunt
What club are you currently playing for?
Brighton and Hove. I’m actually from Yorkshire but the Northern leagues aren’t as competitive as the ones down south. I actually played for Kent Invicta for two years and then I moved to Brighton this season and have won four out of four so far.
How did you get involved with the Asda Kwik Cricket here in Nottinghamshire?
I’m actually living in Newstead Village which isn’t far from here, because I’m currently training at Loughborough University.
How have the kids here taken to you and Sarah (Taylor)?
Well we’ve actually got a bit of a follower whose name is Rebecca, but hopefully we won’t get too many tag alongs. We’ve had a match with the youngsters - we really enjoyed that, Stuart (Broad) joined in with that.
How has Stuart coped with it all?
He’s been alright - he hasn’t been bowling too fast at them but it’s been good fun so far.
How important is it that girls see other women in cricket?
It’s massively important, obviously the boys have got someone to aspire to and the girls might not have known of us before but seeing us today asking us questions like 'Who are you?' 'What do you do?' helps them find out about you, they begin to like you and follow you and you become an inspiration for themselves for when they get older. If they enjoy it as much as I did when I was younger then they will want to play for their country, so today has been a good example for those who may not necessarily have known about us.
How have the boys taken to you?
They were quite surprised to be honest, they see a girl and they don’t expect them to be able to do very much, but when they get involved with us they realise we're actually quite good. It’s all about interacting and letting them ask questions and helping them to find out where to find all sorts of information. With the men you see it all the time on the television but women are in the background and we need to come to events like this to get recognised.
Have you noticed much of a change in the popularity of the female game?
From last year there’s been a 23% increase in the number of children playing the game because of the Asda Kwik Cricket scheme which has also seen a massive increase in the amount of girls playing the game. There are possibly about 25% girls playing here today which compares to when I came up the ranks and at the same age there would maybe have been one other girl playing with me. It’s nice to see 20/30 girls here today.
Stuart Broad
How are you getting on with the media spotlight since your call up for England?
It's something I enjoy really, it's part and parcel of being an England cricketer these days and it's a great opportunity to come to places like this and see the kids play and to watch the Asda Kwik Cricket is fantastic. I was lucky as before I played I was on the National Academy and I got some coaching there on the media.
Are you surprised when you come here and see so many kids playing the game?
Not surprised, no; cricket is a very popular sport in England and it’s good to see so many kids playing. I remember about ten years ago I was doing the same and it was thoroughly enjoyable, its great to here that there’s a 23% increase in the number of kids playing cricket at a young age which is a great start, a lot to do with the fact is the Asda Kwik Cricket, it's great that you get to bat, bowl, field, keep and just enjoy yourself thats what cricket is about.
I presume you started out at a club like this playing Kwik Cricket yourself?
Yes I did. I played at Egerton Park in Melton and it was exactly the same. I would play my Kwik Cricket in the back garden and it’s where you do a lot of your learning, the key is to just enjoy it and have fun with your friends.
Do any of the coaches ever come to places like this and keep an eye out for any talent?
Yes they do - it’s great as a young lad seeing professionals and a few coaches come down but the key is not to get drawn up to much in that you’re here to have fun and express yourself and that’s what the kids here are doing today.
What about the girls, the female game has been getting more press recently, how important is that for the girls at a club like this?
You can see today there are a lot of girls out there playing today and it’s becoming more popular and a lot to do with that is the success of the England Women's team who have just won the Ashes over in Australia and that can only be good for the participation at a young age of the girls, it’s great to see and hopefully it can continue.
© Cricket World 2008
