North London teenager sets sights on professional cricket

North London youngster Amuruthaa Surenkumar has become the youngest player to be selected for an academy squad in the new regional women’s cricket competition involving eight teams from all over England. 

The 14-year-old has been chosen from 100 nominated players to join the inaugural Sunrisers Academy, part of a hub representing nine counties throughout London and the East and the MCC. The academy is for players up to 19 years of age.

Amu said: “I am honoured to have been selected to play with such a talented group of players. Hopefully this will allow me to compete in franchise cricket like The Hundred and T20, and maybe to be a professional cricketer one day.”

Explaining the plans for the Sunrisers Academy, regional talent manager Luke Pomfret said: “The purpose is to develop talent within the region and to produce players for the Sunrisers senior team and the England Women’s Pathway and we hope that a number of these girls are able to make that step up in the coming years.”

Amu’s prodigious cricketing talent at both batting and bowling was spotted by North London CC when she first joined as a 7-year-old.

Club chairman Martin Issitt said: “Her natural abilities and dedication to developing her cricket amazed us all from the first time we saw her. She has clearly been spotted by those who are looking for the next generation of players at the very highest level.”

Amu says she wants to use this success to improve women’s place in the sport.

“I want to push gender equality in cricket, for example more media coverage of women’s cricket and getting more girls and women to pick up a bat and ball and play the game. I was inspired by my parents and my role models are Joe Root and Australian all-rounder, Elyse Perry.”