Northamptonshire volunteer cricket coach awarded Lords trip

A volunteer cricket coach has been recognised for her dedication with a special trip to Lords.

Nav Gahonia, who has volunteered at Northamptonshire since 2019, coaches and supports the Under-11 girls’ team.

She was selected from hundreds of public nominations across the country to be one of 11 MCC Community Cricket Heroes, and got to watch the second day of the England v Sri Lanka Test match.

Ms Gahonia said the experience would be a “special memory”.

The MCC’s campaign aims to celebrate the grassroots game and recognise the thousands of people who make it possible.

The coach said the group enjoyed a “wonderful” day out, spending the day in the Presidential Suite at Lords before being invited on to the pitch, between innings, to be “acknowledged” for their contributions.

Aside from the hospitality, Ms Gahonia said she especially valued “learning about the other nominees”, adding: “As someone who is interested in how cricket can be applied in different places and circumstances, I absolutely enjoyed hearing about the efforts of the others.”

Ms Gahonia emphasised the importance of girls’ cricket, adding: “It’s a really special time to be here [coaching cricket] to capture that interest, to capture that positivity, and to craft a pathway for cricket that’s relevant for girls.”