Hubballi: Aaliya Hoskoti, 15, a Hubballi-born cricketer, was part of the Chelmsford County High School for Girls (CCHS) team that won the inaugural Barclays Knight-Stokes U15 National Championship at Lord’s Cricket Ground.
The competition featured more than 1,100 state school teams from 820 state schools across the United Kingdom. Named after England captains Heather Knight and Ben Stokes, the tournament was launched to provide state school students a platform to showcase their hardball cricket talent.
Speaking to TOI, Aaliya said she started playing cricket at the age of six. The final was played at Lord’s.
I also met Graham Gooch at my UK coaching centre,” she said. Aaliya’s father, Sandip, said the family moved to the UK when she was six months old . As a testament to their triumph, Aaliya and her teammates will have their names permanently engraved on the newly unveiled Knight-Stokes Cup Honours Board inside the Lord’s Pavilion,” he said. Vijayanand Hoskoti, former mayor of Hubballi-Dharwad, said it brought recognition to the region.
“Initial coaching was at London UK, I also got coached by Andre Nel, fast baller of South Africa. Sometimes I attended coaching in Hubballi during UK school holidays. I met Michael Vaughan, former captain of England Cricket team, Heather Knight and legendary England women’s pace bowler Katherine Sciver-Brunt at the game. “She plans to take up cricket as her career alongside focusing on her academics. She is attending Essex County Trials next month. Facing Penistone Grammar School in the showpiece final, Chelmsford County High School produced a dominant performance to secure a historic victory and become the very first girls’ champions of the competition.