Yorkshire Under 18s star Rhia Sedha has been crowned the winner of ‘The 1’ following the nationwide search for cricket’s next number one junior female all-rounder.
The national competition was open to girls aged 12-18 and is run by former England cricketer Lydia Greenway and her online coaching platform, the Girls Cricket Club.
The 16-year-old attends Allerton High School and plays for Shadwell CC in mixed cricket and Men’s Senior Cricket. She also plays for Saxton CC Women’s and Girls teams, as well as representing Yorkshire at U18 county level.
The competition, formulated by former England cricketer Greenway, was comprised of eight different challenges which assessed all aspects of cricketing ability to help find the best all-rounder. Similar to what you see in the NFL Draft:
Longest Throw, Direct Hits, Speed Gates, High Catches, Flat Catches, Gap Hitting, Range Hitting and finally Death Bowling.
The tests were designed to not just showcase each contestant’s athletic ability but also how they could perform in pressure situations.
During a nail-biting final round at Welbeck CCC, the Leeds schoolgirl stepped up when it mattered most and delivered the perfect Yorker during the Death Bowling challenge to win the competition.
Rhia said: “It was amazing to win ‘The 1’. In the end it got really close and came down to the last ball where I had to bowl a yorker to win the competition!
“I really enjoyed the competition and like the way it allows you to showcase your all-rounder cricket abilities. It’s a good way to experience how to deal with pressure situations and how you may need to apply these in real match situations.
“I would recommend the competition to any all-rounder girls between 12-18 years who would like to compete in a fun environment against other talented girls from around the country. As well as having the opportunity to be ‘The 1’, you receive great prizes and get to meet other girls from around the country.”
The girls weren’t just fighting for the title of England’s best all-rounder though, Rhia also took home a host of prizes, including: A custom hand-made bat from competition sponsors Kookaburra, a 12-month kit sponsorship with sport apparel brand Lacuna, a year’s supply of Boobydoo, the specialist sports bra company, gift vouchers from sports specific period underwear brand Iceni, and finally media training with a leading sports PR agency!
Kookaburra Brand Manager Stuart Waterton said: “We were delighted to be able to help Lydia her in the search for England’s next all-rounder. It’s the second year we’ve been involved in this competition and following the success of the inaugural competition it was a no-brainer.
“We look forward to meeting Rhia and offering our support over the next 12-months as she seeks to make her way towards the international stage.”
