Steve Morgan Freelance cricket writer
November 9, 2023
Image caption: The England Lightning Tour squad for the three-match series against Australia and South Africa
“People are expecting us to win. As long as we show our skills and perform to our potential, I don’t think we can go too far wrong.”
This is the reaction any captain of an international cricket team would have on the eve of a fight.
But Chris Edwards is not your average international cricket captain, and his team are not your average international cricket teams.
Edwards’s team of learning-disabled England players take on hosts South Africa and Australia in a three-match series starting this weekend but he boasts numbers that Jos Buttler’s beleaguered white-ball team can only dream of at present.
Since their loss to Australia in 2010, England have remained unbeaten in any series, losing just twice in 35 matches.
Their most recent defeat came by just one run in a T20 match during the Ashes in Australia last summer – the first time the team had played under lights.
England were on course for a 7-1 series victory in the next match when opener Jack Perry smashed 118 off 63 balls to win by 96 runs.
Image caption: England captain Chris Edwards batting in the nets
It’s been a tough journey for Edwards and his friends.
Edwards, who turned 30 in March, made his England debut aged 16 in 2009. Vice-captain Jonny Gayle turned 17 during the first tour in 2011. Four of the 14-man touring squad – Dan Bowser, Robert Hewitt, Alex Jarvis and Ronny Jackson – all made their debuts at the same time at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in 2015.
“This job has given me a sense of identity,” Edwards says. “When I started, there was a big taboo about people with learning disabilities. No one was educated about it. Now it’s more open, more people are coming forward and more young people want to be involved in our games.”
“This is who I am. Wearing this shirt is not something that comes easily. You have to earn the right to wear it. And when you put it on, you have to understand what it means and what this team spirit means. For me, it’s a huge thing.”
Gayle, who, like Edwards, is on the autism spectrum, spoke eloquently about the value of cricket on a personal level – “it’s a vehicle that takes you further, a car that you drive through life with” – and the ambassadorial role players feel they play.
“I’d be lying if I said I don’t think about my numbers,” she laughs, “but at the same time, nothing is more important than helping society to be more accepting of disability and progress.”
There’s a common mantra used by backroom staff across England’s four disabled teams – phrases like “be good” and “people first, cricketers second” appear frequently.
In this system, actions and words speak louder and last weekend at the National Cricket Performance Centre in Loughborough, a team including newcomers Alfie Pyle (2023 Variety Club Disability Sports Rising Star), Ben Mason and Jaidev Charan went through fitness tests, fielding drills and a series of batting and bowling scenarios.
Head coach Lauren Rowles will be in her second role with the team, taking over from long-time coach Derek Morgan.
“The advice he gave me was, ‘Just be a good person,'” Lawless recalled. “People often ask me what’s different about mentoring young people with disabilities, but you just mentor the person in front of you. Everyone has different needs: male, female, how they identify, whether they have a disability or not.”
What impressed Lawless was the energy of the team and the players’ work ethic. “They love the team, they love being together, they love learning,” she said. “They don’t get a lot of exposure to the coaches, so they just want to ask questions and find out what the coaches know, so they can try and do what the coaches tell them.”
After the resounding win in Australia, hopes are high that England will play three matches against each opponent, starting with Australia on Sunday, before culminating in the final at SuperSport Park in Pretoria on November 19.
Edwards was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2021 for his services to cricket. In his day job, Edwards is head coach of the Cheshire-wide disability cricket team and he takes nothing for granted.
“We may be favourites to win but we’re playing T20 cricket so our opponents will probably have the advantage,” he said.
“The game time will be shorter, they will have chances and Australia will be focused on winning by one point, which is still what everyone is concerned about.”