England cricket team wins Inas Series 5-1 in Australia

England Learning Disability Cricket completed a resounding 5-1 Inas International Series win over Australia thanks to a first international century from captain and My Sport, My Voice! Ambassador Chris Edwards.

Edwards, who was leading the team as skipper for the first time, made 104 of England’s 199 for eight in the final game of the six match series at Princes Park in Melbourne on Tuesday. He then took two catches, one from his own bowling, to help limit the hosts to 164 for five.

Fellow My Sport, My Voice! Ambassador Jonny Gale also had a starring role in the triumphant series as opening batsman alongside Edwards.

At the closing ceremony Edwards, who coaches schools and clubs on the Wirral for Cheshire Cricket Board, was named man of the match and the series.

The 22-year-old said: “To win 5-1 in Australia is amazing, a great feeling to finally to get the series over and done with and we can go and celebrate well tonight.

“It’s very wild at the moment. Everyone is jumping around, over the moon. It’s just unbelievable. I can’t really put it into words just how pleased everyone is.”

On his maiden century, Edwards said: “It was a great feeling to get a hundred. It’s something that I’ve always been aiming for.”

The series victory and accolades complete an incredible fortnight for Edwards as he was recently unveiled as one of 13 high performance athlete ambassadors for the UK Sports Association’s project, My Sport, My Voice!

Edwards will soon be back on Merseyside sharing his experiences from Down Under and inspiring others to succeed at their chosen goals as part of the My Sport, My Voice! project, which is raising the profile of the UK’s elite athletes with learning disability.

Tracey McCillen, Chief Executive at the UK Sports Association said: “We are delighted for Chris and all the England Cricket team on their success in Australia. With Chris being named man of the series as captain and scoring his first international century, he is going to have some very special experiences to share.

“Our collaboration with the ECB in supporting such talented players on their journey is a perfect example of how with the right support and approach people with learning disability can achieve at the very highest levels.”