Joe Reeve dreams of Lancashire call up

Wicket keeper Joe Reeve

Rising cricket star Joe Reeve has earned a place in Rossendale’s under 15s side and hopes to be scouted for Lancashire.

Whitworth Community High School student Joe, 14, is in Year Nine and has been playing since Kwik Cricket was introduced to his primary school St Bartholomew’s in Whitworth.

Joe, of Whitworth, said: “I was about six or seven and they explained that you could take the sport up if you joined a local club and I have been at Bacup ever since.

“They have an under nine team, under 11, under 13 and under 15 and I have been in every one.

“I am currently in the under 15s and we are coached by Pete Donovan. I also play for Bacup’s second team and third teams because they have a mixture of junior and senior players. I was invited to go to senior training, to help me get used to playing against older, faster players.

“I am a wicket keeper, but I also enjoy batting, although as wicket keeper you tend to be further down the order. Since I got the place with Rossendale, I have training hard as I also want to improve my batting skills.

“My first match with Rossendale was against Fylde and Blackpool at Haslingden Cricket Club. One of the bowlers was really good and would bowl at 70mph so I needed really quick reactions.

“I only let 10 balls past and I managed to catch a batter out by jumping and catching the ball in mid-air.

“We batted first and got 201 runs, but the other team got 204. I also got hit on the chin by a ball, but I was fine.”

Joe used to play football, but switched to Thai Boxing at a club in Whitworth.

He can turn his hand to most sports at school.

He has an older brother Jack, 17, and his parents Jason and Sandra support him at matches.

He said: “When I told my dad that I had got into the district team he was chuffed to bits because he is a cricket fan too.

“Playing that first match for the district team was a good experience because I was playing with different people from all over Rossendale. Some were of a better standard than I am and I want to be as good as them so I will be trying even harder.”