Lola Summerscales: Softball cricket, teas and MPs

Lola Summerscales is our Yorkshire Tea Community Cricket Award winner for August and we caught up with the teen dynamo to discuss Lola’s many roles, particularly around launching women and girls’ cricket at Yeadon.

Women and girls’ softball cricket

In 2024, Yeadon entered a Women’s 1st XI softball team into the West Yorkshire Women & Girls League. It was a step into the unknown but came from wanting to offer more opportunities:

Lola took up the reins: “It was a bit of a struggle to get everything started…getting players and organising everything but I always wanted to do it because I started in juniors. I played in the boys team and there’s only up to a certain level you can play unless you’re really good.”

She tells me: “I thought I might as well create a women’s team to get people involved in cricket so they can have a go and they can develop.”

Speaking to teams, captains and players, those first tentative steps from training sessions to forming a team and entering a league are exciting and not really about results.

That said, this (second) season Yeadon reached the Leeds West Division 2 softball final and only lost in a close match with Collingham & Linton. For Lola, who captains, it was obvious that skills, momentum and self-belief were all building:

“We have a lot of juniors players…girls who play for our team and you can really see the development in them and the confidence in their game as well.”

Lola’s leadership of Yeadon’s women’s side is a way to see that progress first-hand: “I really enjoy it. I think after coaching and managing the team, you can see it in games. It’s all worth it because people are just having fun and getting to do something they enjoy.”

The wins, when they come, while not all-important are sweet nonetheless: “We don’t win every game but the games they do win, I think it gives players that bit of a boost…and it’s good at reflecting on both the things we can improve on and the things we’ve done well.”

Her plans for the future at Yeadon are around building up the team and as the player-coach, having a strong relationship with players: “Getting more and more to join in of all ages and abilities.”

There has been some input into coaching but having recently passed her ECB Foundation Coach qualification, she can now lead sessions independently and without supervision.

Teas duties

Another area of club life where Lola has got stuck in is the all-important cricket teas. “I’ve been doing that since I was 16 and I’m now 18. I got involved because my dad’s always played cricket and he moved to Yeadon. We kind of grew up there and it was a bit of a rite of passage to do teas.”

Lola’s signature dish is a spicy pasta with cheese sauce and an optional alternative with chorizo for those who like a meaty kick.

MP visit

Along with Yeadon’s Chair Wayne Ralley, Lola was also involved in arranging an August visit from their local MP to learn the latest on the cricket club.

Talking to Harry Williams of the Wharfedale Observer, MP Katie White said: “We need more Lolas. Local clubs like Yeadon are powered by people like her, committed, kind and completely inspiring. Whether you have played cricket before or not, there is a place for you here.”

Meanwhile, Lola told me: “It was lovely meeting Katie. it’s good to get the support from the local community because the biggest thing about the club is the community around it.”

As for women and girls who turn out for Yeadon, they wrapped their outdoor season for 2025 with a six-run win at Meanwood in August and are now planning on entering a team into the local indoor league.

To find out more, visit yeadoncc.com.

🫖 Congratulations to Lola and thanks to Yorkshire Tea for their support in backing these awards, as we seek to champion volunteers during the season in a new way and tell their stories.

if you’d like to nominate a volunteer who makes an impact in Yorkshire cricket then you’d be very welcome. The awards run until end of September 2025.

✍️ Here are interviews with previous monthly winners.

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