My Yorkshire: England cricketer Lauren Winfield

England cricketer and Yorkshire Diamonds captain Lauren Winfield is from Stamford Bridge, near York. The 27-year-old is currently preparing for the Ashes series in Australia in October.

What is your first Yorkshire memory?

My first memories of cricket are of going down to my local club at Stamford Bridge where my dad played on Saturdays. It’s a real family club. Dad would be playing in the middle. Mum would take a picnic and me and my brother would be tearing about on the boundary. As I grew older, I attended the training sessions on a Friday night for the youngsters. I was the only girl and then aged under 10 I played for the seconds and loved it. For many girls it can be daunting going into a boys’ team if you are the only girl, whereas I was fortunate because the boys were my friends and really welcoming. I was lucky enough to captain all the boys’ sides.

How much support from Yorkshire did you have at the World Cup final at Lord’s?

My parents came as did my uncle and aunt. I had lots of support. People from the club were texting and old school friends whom I hadn’t spoken to for 10 years were sending messages. A lot of my school friends wouldn’t have a clue about cricket but they watched the game. The final captured people you would never have thought would follow cricket or women’s cricket. The support was phenomenal throughout. It’s a fantastic feeling being a World Cup winner, but I woke up the next day feeling exactly the same but a bit happier.

What is your favourite part of Yorkshire?

I love Stamford Bridge because it’s home. The club ground is beautiful, there are lots of nice walks by the River Derwent, fields where you can run and you can go out on your bike in the countryside. You don’t have to go far to find greenery and hills in the Stamford Bridge area. I also love the coast and I’ve spent a fair bit of time in Whitby and Scarborough. I now appreciate Yorkshire a lot more than I did five or six years ago.

What is your idea of a perfect day out or weekend away in Yorkshire?

I’ve always loved going to Dalby Forest where you can have decent walks or take your bike. I like taking picnics or having barbecues and the other place I really like is Brimham Rocks, near Harrogate.