Worcestershire Women’s Rapids wicket-keeper batsman Chloe Hill will be playing alongside some cricketing greats for a Lord’s Taverners Celebrity Cricket X1 in South Africa next month.
Hill is part of a squad that includes former England captains David Gower and Mike Gatting who between them won nearly 200 Test caps.
Ex England internationals Andy Caddick and Gladstone Small will also be making the trip.
The party will be based in Cape Town for the week long trip from March 2 to 9 and will play two matches.
They will face the South African Lord Taverner’s Chairman’s X1 on March 4 and two days later will take on the South African Legends with both matches taking place at Western Province.
Former Essex batsman Paul Prichard is the tour captain and the squad also includes ex England rugby international Rob Andrew – now Sussex CCC CEO.
Hill’s inclusion is more recognition for the Women’s Rapids team after spinner Sarah Glenn’s England call-up for the current ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Australia.
Two years ago Hill also represented MCC Women in front of 5,000 spectators at Lord’s against Middlesex Cricket when she played alongside former England skipper Charlotte Edwards and World Cup winners Sarah Taylor and Georgia Elwiss.
It was a proud occasion for Hill as Taylor, who handed her the gloves to keep wicket, is her cricketing hero.
She said: “I followed her from a very early age with her keeping and batting and would style my game on hers.”
Twenty-three-year-old Hill, who is approaching her fifth season with the Rapids, is part of the MCC-Middlesex Academy and trains every Saturday at Lord’s throughout the winter.
She was appointed vice-captain of the Women’s Rapids team last summer – the year after she was voted Player Of The Year – and helped them stay up in Division Two of the Royal London County One-Day Cup and ECB County T20 competitions.
Hill is a close friend of Sarah Glenn and proud of what she has achieved with England since making her debut three months ago.
She said: “Glenny is a good friend of mine so we talk about everything so, what she has achieved, I’m very proud of.
“It’s a big achievement for Worcestershire Women’s Rapids and long may it continue.”
Hill is looking forward to her latest tour with the Taverners. She said: “There are so many cricketing legends on the tour and it is always great to learn from and be offered help by them.
“It’s my first visit to South Africa as well and I will enjoy that very much. I am a big supporter of the Lord’s Taverners and always look to make myself available for their games throughout the summer.
“I am very lucky that this is my third tour with them. I have been previously to Corfu and Hong Kong with them.”
The full Lord’s Taverners touring party is:
Paul Prichard (Essex CCC & Tour Captain), David Gower (England & Hampshire CCC); Mike Gatting (England & Middlesex CCC); Andy Caddick (England & Somerset CCC); Rob Andrew (England, Wasps & Newcastle Falcons); Gladstone Small (England & Warwickshire CCC); George Chuter (England & Leicester Tigers); Chloe Hill (Worcestershire Women CCC); Gus Mackay (Zimbabwe & Essex CCC); Iain Nairn (Captain England Disability Cricket Team); Jonnie Irwin (TV Presenter & writer); Gordon Kennedy (TV, Stage and Film Actor); JP Doyle (Professional Rugby Union Referee)
