Nine-year-old becomes face of cricket campaign

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May 17, 2026 - 07:08

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Nine-year-old becomes face of cricket campaign

Edie, nine, stands smiling between her dad Matt and her coach Amy Sherratt on the grass at Oakamoor Cricket Club. She wears a navy Oakamoor Cricket Club training top with the club's oak leaf badge. Behind them, junior players take part in a training session against a backdrop of wooded hillside on a bright, sunny evening. — Edie pictured with her dad Matt and coach Amy Sherratt at Oakamoor Cricket Club [BBC]

A young cricketer from Staffordshire has been left stunned after a video starring her was watched more than a million times.

Nine-year-old Edie, who plays for Oakamoor Cricket Club in north Staffordshire, is the face of a new England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) campaign celebrating the volunteers and families behind grassroots cricket.

Released last week, the video has already racked up more than a million views online, with fans tuning in from as far afield as India and Sri Lanka.

The ECB is aiming to get a record 500,000 women and girls playing cricket this year, as England Women prepare for a home World Cup campaign.

"My sister came and woke me up [and] decided to put an alarm in my ear," Edie said.

"I finally woke up and she just put the phone in my face. It said 900,000. Then by the end of school, I was at a million views. I was like, 'oh my gosh, I've reached it'."

The film, which took about six hours to shoot, captures a boom in women's and girls' cricket that saw more than 1,000 new teams formed in 2025.

Edie said she thought she was chosen for the campaign because of her determination, and was "lucky" to have people watching her.

"I'm positive in all my things. I never give up," she added. "If I stop for 10 minutes, I'm like, I'm getting back in it."

A woman wearing a navy top smiles at the camera. She is stood on a grass lawn, with a cricket pitch behind her. — Amy Sherratt said the club has seen an increase in its numbers over the years [BBC]

Edie's dad Matt described it as a "real proud dad moment".

"It's just amazing, Edie loves cricket, she loves to play and it's great to be here supporting cricket this year," he said.

Amy Sherratt, the club's junior co-ordinator, added it had seen its numbers increase over the years, particularly among women and girls.

"This year we've actually entered three girls sides and two ladies sides, so it's just testament to all the work the ECB have done to make it more of a girls game, than just a boys."

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