by By Paul Eddison, Sportsbeat
Competitive England U19 women are looking to have fun, says Tilly Corteen-Coleman
Tilly Corteen-Coleman only became interested in cricket to follow her brother, but she quickly realized it was all she wanted to do.
Still just 17, the slow left-armer burst onto the scene in 2024, taking four wickets in four balls in the Charlotte Edwards Cup for South East Stars before becoming the youngest player and youngest wicket-taker wicket of The Hundred history.
Corteen-Coleman has now landed in Malaysia, aiming to help England build on the second-place finish they achieved in 2023. That haul included Surrey teammate Ryana MacDonald-Gay, who used this as a springboard in the senior team and Corteen-Coleman. Coleman is excited about the opportunity ahead for England.
She said: “As a team I think we’re looking to have a lot of fun, but playing competitive, high-quality cricket is what we really go there for.
“We have a sort of team motto: ‘evolve, embrace, enjoy’ – evolve ourselves, embrace the challenge and have fun. All our cricketers will play with these values in mind. We will do our best to win.
“I was at school at the time of the last (U19 Women’s T20 World Cup), I couldn’t watch everything. I followed as much as I could. I knew a lot of the players on the team, so I supported them. It’s a shame they didn’t cross the finishing line, but they played some really exciting cricket.
It was a quick rise for Corteen-Coleman, who was persuaded to pick up a cricket ball by his older brother Hugo.
“I started at my local club, St Lawrence and Highland Court, when I was six,” she explained. “I really started because I wanted to copy my brother. We’re really competitive and I couldn’t stand the thought that he could be better than me at something.
“From a young age, I knew this was what I wanted to do. I remember going to elementary school and we had a career day where we had to come to school dressed like you want to be when you’re older. I went dressed as a cricketer. So, I always knew what I was going to do.
Growing up near Kent’s home ground of Canterbury, Corteen-Coleman began to realize her potential once she switched from seam bowling to spin on the advice of her under-11 coach, David Sear. From there she hit the trails of Kent, getting the chance to spend time and even benefit from coaching from English football legends such as Laura Marsh, Lydia Greenway, Charlotte Edwards and Tammy Beaumont.
Even with her obvious potential, Corteen-Coleman had no idea she was going to have such a breakthrough season in 2024, but after a late call-up for the South East Stars’ pre-season tour to Abu Dhabi, she didn’t never looked back.
She said: “I had absolutely no idea. I am so lucky and grateful for the opportunities I had last season. I hadn’t even played a match for South East Stars when I was called up for the pre-season tour.
“I then went to Sri Lanka and was lucky enough to be part of the England U19 traveling team, which was amazing. That’s when I got the call from Lottie (Charlotte Edwards) about me being drafted by Southern Brave. From there, everything happened very quickly.
“A few weeks later I got a call from Surrey (South East Stars at the time) offering me a pay-as-you-go deal. It was pretty incredible.
It quickly became evident that she was a talent, taking four wickets in four deliveries against the Northern Diamonds before Australian skipper Meg Lanning was her first victim in The Hundred.
Corteen-Coleman was blissfully unaware of the first of these exploits, but certainly knew of Lanning’s dismissal.
She recalls: “I can’t lie, I didn’t even realize I was on a hat-trick or four from four. It was only because it was the last wicket of the match that I was celebrating on the field with the team. They told me to look at the big screen and that’s when I saw it. It was quite an unexpected and incredible day.
“The Hundred was so special and I am very grateful for the opportunity given to me by Lottie and to work with such an incredible group of players and coaches.
“Performing on such a huge stage and receiving such support from the crowd is everything I wanted and more. Having Meg Lanning as the first wicket, and catching and bowling, is even better. It was such a whirlwind, the Hundred and my first wicket.
“I wouldn’t have wanted to do this with anyone else. I knew a few of them, but not many, but it was such a great group of girls, but to come straight in and play every game, with Lottie showing such confidence in me, so it was an amazing experience all round points of view.
If England are to surpass their team’s achievements in 2023, then their young left-arm spinner will undoubtedly have a big role to play.
© CCI 2023
