Hello everyone, today I'm thrilled to be able to release the interview which I conducted with Ellie Threlkeld, the captain of Lancashire Thunder and a key player for Manchester Originals. Join me as we discuss her cricketing journey, experiences, goals for the upcoming season and advice she would offer individuals wanting to pursue cricket as their career.
So, Ellie, could you offer a quick history of how you got into cricket.
I have an older brother Will who got me into playing sport, he played both cricket and football, so I did the same from a young age. I went down to my local club Rainford with him and got involved there. From ages 9-18 I played cricket for Lancashire and football for Liverpool. When I reached 18, I had to make a decision between football and cricket, choosing cricket and making a move from Liverpool to Wigan Athletic to allow a little bit more time for my cricket. I was fortunate enough to be one of the first professionally contracted players in Lancashire in 2020 under the new domestic structure. I have also been involved in England Development programs from age 15 and have represented the England A side recently. I am currently captain of the Thunder side and representing the Manchester Originals in the hundred.
Also, looking back on your playing career so far, what coach or coaches do you feel have had the biggest impact on your cricket journey so far and is there any bits of advice they have offered you which you could share?
I have been fortunate enough to work with a lot of brilliant coaches in my career but the most recent couple of years I have worked with Steven Parry, Craig White and Paul Shaw who combined have got an unbelievable amount of experience and knowledge and are really great people. I am grateful to Paul Shaw for giving me the chance to captain the side and being a real mentor in this role. Recently, Chris Read has taken over from Shawsy (Paul Shaw) and I am really excited to work with him.
Having scored your maiden hundred against the Western Storm in the 2023 edition of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy talk us through how you felt during the match and after scoring the hundred at Emirates Old Trafford.
To finish the season well is always nice and I was especially pleased to finish with a win for Shawsy’s last game in charge. He has done so much for the club and put some great foundations in place at the club for us to go on and be successful. Personally, it is always nice to contribute to the team winning and to score my first hundred at Emirates Old Trafford was really special after working really hard on my batting. Hopefully this is the first of more.
Having opted to play in Australia during the English off season and also previously been able to train/play at various facilities such as Mumbai and South Africa to name just a few with differing conditions. How have you went about adjusting both your technique and mindset for both keeping and batting to succeed if you have at all?
Playing cricket overseas has allowed me to experience different conditions and find ways to try to be successful. In particular I found our recent batting camp in Mumbai challenging and explored different options against spin. From a mental point of view, I think it’s about being smart and assessing conditions quickly to figure out the best options to score runs. From a wicket keeping point of view, regardless of the conditions, a lot of things remain the same and I continue to work hard on my basics and challenge these under speed and pressure to ensure they can stand up in more challenging conditions.
Having been drafted to represent the Manchester Originals in the hundred, how did you react to the news that you would be playing in the competition and how do you feel this tournament has impacted women’s cricket for the good going forward in the future.
I was buzzing to represent Manchester in the hundred and I am always proud to represent a city I have spent the whole of my career. To continue to train and play at what in my opinion is the best ground in the country was a bonus! I think the hundred and other franchise competitions are fantastic for the women’s game, giving players a chance to play around the world and mixing with the best players. In England I think the hundred was brilliant for the women’s game and has put the game out there and attracted a new audience and allowed the game to grow.
What are both your personal and team goals with the Thunder now heading into the 2024 season?
The goal for this season is obviously to win some silverware but we will not look too far ahead and take each game as it comes. It was amazing to reach our first finals day last year and we cannot win anything unless we get there again. Personally, I would love to lead the team to some success and have a great contribution with the bat as well as the gloves. I think the team is shaping up really well so I am excited where we can get to this season
Lastly, if you were to offer any bit of advice for a young cricketer wanting to pursue cricket as their career what would you say to them?
My advice to a young cricketer would be to work hard but remember to enjoy the journey. I think this is so important, especially when you can fail more than you succeed in cricket.
I'd like to thank Ellie for taking the time to answer these questions. I wish her the best for the remainder of her stay in Sydney, where she represents Sydney University Cricket Club, and for the upcoming 2024 season with Lancashire Thunder and Manchester Originals.
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