"Cricket Saved Me" Glos player's journey from losing her sight to England recognition
14 October 2014
Two years after losing her sight Elyse Bezuidenhout is set to play for the first ever England women’s blind cricket team.
The 26-year-old from Almondsbury will tour Nepal from October 19 to 29 after impressing for the county’s visually impaired team - the Gloucestershire Growlers - who are based at Hatherley and Reddings CC.
During the trip Elyse will play threeT20 matches matches against Nepal – the only other women’s visually impaired team in the world.
Her call-up caps a rollercoaster period that has seen her go from having to come to terms with her deteriorating sight to receiving international recognition.
A talented sportswoman who played county hockey in her homeland of Zimbabwe, the former chef lost her sight as a result of type one diabetes.
She has undergone several operations over the last three years and had to wait until she was registered blind to receive support from the organisations that help people who are visually impaired.
During this difficult time Elyse admits that playing sport was the last thing on her mind.
But a conversation with her mobility officer changed that and cricket has proved to be a lifeline both on and off the pitch.
She said: “It is pretty much what saved me to be honest. I was stuck at home for about 11 months and didn’t want to go out, and was just lying on the sofa all day.
“I found out about the Growlers about a year and a half after I had the operation and lost my sight. My mobility officer said she had read online about them looking for players and it has gone from there.”
Elyse is now a key player for the Growlers who were set-up by the Gloucestershire Cricket Board and Insight Gloucestershire in 2012. Since then the mixed team has gone from strength to strength, giving a demonstration during the interval of a match at the Bristol County Ground and competing in the national league.
She said: “Meeting the Growlers and playing cricket made me feel free. There are no obstructions on a cricket field so you can move around without worrying about hitting anything. It gave me a massive confidence boost and really did save me.”
Elyse began as an allrounder but has begun playing as a wicketkeeper/batsman this season as her sight has worsened. It was through playing for the Growlers against London-based side the Metro Devils that Elyse caught the attention of the England women’s blind cricket squad. Since then she has travelled to Croydon for regular training sessions and has revelled in the chance to play at an elite level.
She said: “It’s been challenging but I have loved it – its great fun and I guess you get out what you put into it. I used to play hockey, rugby, cricket –pretty much anything with a ball - and it has been great to be able to keep that going despite losing my sight.”
Rediscovering her love of sport has also had a major impact on her professional aspirations. Elyse is currently studying sport and recreation student at Hereford’s Royal National College. She has recently become the first visually impaired person to receive her Level 2 cricket coaching qualification. She now wants to set up a VI team in Bristol.
But more than anything else Elyse says it is the camaraderie she has shared with the Growlers squad that has been the most important thing.
She said: “It has been great to meet other VI people and see how they cope.
“Although we all love playing VI cricket is more about socialising. A lot of VI people don’t have a lot of confidence to go out. It is more a social scene than a competitive thing – although a few people like me and Mark (Gulwell, Growlers chairman) are a bit more competitive.”
Elyse says that she doesn’t feel too daunted by the prospect of travelling to Nepal having been back to Zimbabwe several times in the last few years.
Nepal currently has 10 VI teams and around 100 female VI players. And Elyse says looking forward to competing with the very best.
England coach Beth Evans said she thinks Elyse will be a huge asset to the team both on and off the pitch.
She said: “Elyse is a truly inspiring young woman with a lot of talent. She is very supportive and encouraging of her team mates and fitted into the team straight away. She is determined to develop further opportunities for visually impaired women and she will go far in the sport.
“ I would love to see her playing for the full England VI team one day and I hope she is a key person in the development of the women’s team in England.”
In order to go on the tour to Nepal Elyse has to raise £1500 to help cover costs. If you would be interested in sponsoring her please visit http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ElyseBezuidenhout
If you would like to find out more about the Gloucestershire Growlers or VI cricket in the county please contact Marc Gulwell at Marc.Gulwell@insight-glos.org.uk
