CP Awareness Month Profiles: William Baxter (Cricket)

CP Sport have collected a range of profiles from people with CP that participate in sport. We will be posting these profiles daily throughout CP Awareness Month (March) to celebrate positive stories and inspire people to take part in the future.

Name: William Baxter

Role: Cricketer and field paraathlete (F36 ambulant discus and shot put)

Clubs: Haxey Cricket Club; Yorkshire County Cricket Club and Doncaster Athletic Club

I play for Haxey CC in the Lincolnshire Cricket League and for Yorkshire in national disability cricket leagues. I open the bowling for Haxey 2nd team and finished last season as the top wicket taker. I had the best bowling figures in the club last year with 6 wickets for 13 runs in one match. With the Yorkshire 1st XI which is a team made up of players with different disabilities, I won the 2023 National D40 Quest County Cricket Championship. I also won gold in ambulant men’s discus and shot put at the CP Sport Nationals.

My two older brothers played cricket and I wanted to play too. When I was 10 I started playing pairs cricket for a local club and I have played ever since. I started playing for Yorkshire when I was 15.

I have had to become much fitter and stronger to play cricket. I do lots of training by myself, with a fitness coach, an athletics coach and cricket coaches. I have learned that I have to work hard and practice a lot to improve and do well. I listen to my coaches and try and do what they say. Training can be boring so I try to make it fun. I play darts with my dad in between sets of exercises at home and set training targets with my coaches.

I have learned that I need longer to warm up than other players because of my CP. My coaches have given me exercises to do so that I will be ready to do my best when the match starts.

I enjoy being part of a team and I like to win. I have made lots of friends, achieved a lot and made some great memories.

I want to continue to improve my batting, bowling and fielding. One day I would like to play in the Disability Premier League and play for England. I also want to go to the Paralympics as a thrower.

Cricket is a great sport and it is good fun to be part of a team. It is great when you can do things to help the team and I like to celebrate when we win!

If you are interested in pursuing opportunities in CP Sport – please check out our events page, or message us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Join our Miles for March fundraising campaign – we are encouraging people to walk, run, cycle, swim, push or trike 31 miles in March – join a brilliant community of people today! If you would like to fundraise or volunteer for CP Sport – please email fundraising@cpsport.org.