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In October 2022 the England and Wales Cricket Board announced that OL Alice Capsey (Manor 2017–2020) had been awarded a Central Contract for the England Women’s Cricket Team; a reward for the hard work and dedication she has shown so far, and proof that, whilst her international career has only just taken off, it is showing no sign of slowing down any time soon.
Lancing’s Director of Cricket, Raj Maru, recalls seeing signs early on in his time working with Alice at the College that she would be able to succeed in the game: ’It was Alice’s body language; when she joined the school you could see that she had the mental strength and determination to succeed at the highest level.’ Raj, a former Hampshire and Middlesex spinner, believes that one of the key elements in the success of Lancing’s cricketers is the ability to spot talent early on and allowing the time for them to progress and develop into a quality player: ’At Lancing we are not looking for what a player is in the present, rather what they can be in six to eight years’ time.’
Raj speaks with pride when asked about Alice and another international cricketer and OL Mason Crane (Head’s 2010–2015). Even though they are now plying their trade in cricket grounds across the world (Mason is currently playing in the inaugural South Africa T20 league for the Sunrisers Eastern Cape, after a string of strong performances for Hampshire in 2022’s T20 Vitality blast and for The London Spirit in this season’s The Hundred), Raj is always on hand, be it to offer technical advice, talk about the mental challenges of the game or simply offer a pressure-free cricket environment for them to return to whenever the opportunity presents itself. It is this environment that Raj believes is another factor in nurturing success at the College: ’What helps Lancing stand out as a strong breeding ground for cricketers is the diverse culture of the school. The relatively small size allows all pupils who want to be involved in the game to be supported and to have the opportunity to play in various roles, bat and bowl for example, not just field.’
We recently caught up with Alice; having just finished playing for the Melbourne Stars in the Women’s Big Bash League in Australia, we asked how her time at Lancing helped her develop as a cricketer: ’The College played an important part in my development as a cricketer. It is a really good school, and I received a lot of support and encouragement during my time there. The facilities are great, and the staff were a big factor in helping me progress my sporting aspirations.’
When asked if she felt that her experiences of being educated in a school with such a diverse international community has helped in her career so far, Alice’s response was: ’Absolutely, the College was great for introducing me to many different cultures. One of the best things about cricket is the amount of travel involved and the different cultures and countries you are able to experience; it is definitely beneficial to have been at a school that welcomed and embraced that. It also teaches you how best to be part of a group, a team, and that is something I have learnt from being in a boarding school as well.’
Preceding her fine performances in her first WBBL, Alice had an outstanding summer of cricket in England, once again proving instrumental in the Oval Invincibles’ title-winning run in The Hundred and for the South East Stars, culminating in her international debut; the second OL to earn an England Cap after Mason. Alice played 13 matches for England this summer and was England’s highest run scorer in the Commonwealth Games, scoring her first international half century against South Africa, the team she took her maiden international wicket against earlier in the summer.
It was during her time at Lancing that Alice took up spin bowling. Raj suggested that Alice, a wicket-keeper batter when she first arrived, tried bowling in a net session. After watching her bowl just a couple of deliveries of spin, he knew that she would be an effective spinner in the game. And so it has proven, with Alice’s wicket-taking ability proving just as valuable as her destructive batting at the top of the order.
Asked how she felt about her meteoric rise from being the youngest player to turn out for the Lancing First XI at just 13 years of age (a record she still holds) to her first England Cap just five years later, Alice said: ’It’s all gone pretty quickly! I have been very happy with how my career has progressed across the last few years, playing for Oval Invincibles at Lord’s was special and then my England debuts in both ODI and IT20 cricket – as well as the Commonwealth Games. You can’t look backwards too much, though, you need to keep looking forward to whatever is next.’
Raj hopes that Alice and Mason won’t be the last players to come through the College to earn their international caps, believing that the school has great potential in discovering young talent and preparing them for higher levels in the sport. So, whilst two of our OLs are enjoying a winter in the Southern Hemisphere, perhaps Lancing’s next international player is already amongst the current crop, honing their skills in the indoor nets, preparing to make Lancing College ‘three not out’ for international caps.
You can read the full Q&A with Alice here: https://www.lancingcollege.co.uk/news/full-q-and-a-alice-capsey
This article was published in the Advent Term Quad, December 2022.