Howzat for a Hong Kong girl
Her name might suggest a long road ahead but former Hong Kong cricketer Natasha Miles is on the verge of making it big in England and convincing officials she should be part of the country's long-term plans.
Miles, who might have been an oddball in Hong Kong cricket- by virtue of playing with the men in a bid to find a level of competition more on par with her game- was 'surprised' when she was called up to join the England Women's A academy in Loughborough this winter.
'To be honest, I was very surprised, and of course extremely happy when I heard I had been included in the England A academy,' said the 22-year-old Miles, a former Hong Kong representative and Hong Kong Cricket Club stalwart. In her first game for England A, Miles took two for 12 from eight overs of right-arm medium pace. It was enough to convince the England A management the former 'MCC Young Cricketer' had the qualities needed to tough it out on the international stage.
'I took those wickets against the England Moderate Learning Difficulties men's side and we did win the match,' Miles said. 'I think as a bowler you're always happy to take wickets. That's your job so it's always a great feeling.'
And that warm feeling turned to outright joy when Miles heard she had been called up to the academy at Loughborough as an all-rounder where she will prepare for an England A tour of South Africa next April.
It has been a long journey from Hong Kong, but the days when she played in the local leagues for HKCC at Wong Nai Chung Gap Road will always be treasured as it was here as a teenager that she learned the finer arts of the game. Miles represented Hong Kong on a tour of Pakistan in 2006 but then made herself unavailable for international duty as she ambitiously sought a place with England, her other home.
'I think a part of me is a little bit sad not to have that option [of playing for Hong Kong] as it's always a great honour to play for your country,' Miles said. 'But I have done that and now it would be great to represent a country that is also part of me.'
The gifted all-rounder, who turns 23 in 10 days, has made tremendous strides since she won recognition as a MCC Young Cricketer in 2007. She played a season in New Zealand last winter for the Otago Sparks before returning to the UK to continue playing for Middlesex.
'I have been playing as much cricket as I can, especially this past year when I went to New Zealand, in huge part thanks to the MCC and one of the previous HKCC coaches, Nathan King, who is now coach of Otago Sparks,' Miles said.
Her experience in New Zealand proved useful on her return to her English county Middlesex, who had been promoted to Division One.
'Through a lot of determination and hard work we finished in third place this season which was fantastic considering it was our first year in the top division of county cricket. My club side, Finchley Gunns, also just recently won the national league. These two achievements have been the most prominent highlights of the past year, although I have had many personal highlights,' Miles said.
One of those personal highlights was taking her first five-wicket haul for Middlesex. 'The win was more important than my 5-for,' she said.
It isn't surprising when Miles identifies the huge difference in playing in England and New Zealand when compared to Hong Kong. It is a case of thorough professionals against weekend cricketers.
'I think the standard is a huge leap but that is not to take anything away from the girls in Hong Kong and their achievements,' Miles said. 'Hong Kong is still developing and has a long way to go. There is so much competition from an early age in both England and New Zealand so the standard is extremely high with players competing for spots.
'There is also a lot of cricket nous. A lot of girls will watch and play cricket from a young age so there is a lot of game awareness. The players' attitude towards training and strength and conditioning differs as well. Those who endeavour to play at the top level dedicate a huge amount of time to having nets, and going to the gym and improving fitness levels.
'Also, being surrounded by world-class players and playing with them and against them on a regular basis helps as does their humility, which I believe has a huge impact on younger players as they are always willing to advise and help,' Miles said.
The transition from Hong Kong to England was hard in the beginning for Miles, but hard work and determination, two qualities which caught the eye of the England selectors, helped her push the boundaries.
'It was difficult to start with. I always worked hard but I think the hardest part was adapting to the different conditions. I'd played a lot with men and on grass in Hong Kong so the playing styles and wickets were very different,' Miles said. 'I adapted just by following the examples of players I wanted to be like and surrounding myself with players and coaches who would help me get better.'
Miles will return home in the next couple of weeks after her first academy session at Loughborough. She will enjoy the Hong Kong Sixes before returning to the academy next month. She will then most probably go to New Zealand for another season with Otago in the 15-match state championship during December.
The Hong Kong Cricket Club waif is making a name for herself all around the world.
