HE MAY may have come out on the losing side in the series with India, but England Visually Impaired Cricket star Nathan Foy insisted there were still plenty of positives to take away after his return to the international stage.
After a four-year break to spend time with his family, Rugby’s Foy was back in England colours for the two one-day and three T20 clashes with the world champions.
And it was like the 34-year-old had never been away, as he racked up 90 and 56 in the opening one-day and T20 matches.
The former was achieved in front of his two-and-a-half year old daughter Kristen while Foy’s second half century came at the famous KIA Oval.
And while England would ultimately fail to take victory in five attempts, Foy admitted he had relished being back on the main stage.
“It’s an honour to play for your country,” said Foy. “Not everyone gets to do it.
“I thanked the players at the end of the series for welcoming me back with open arms, it was great to be back.
“Playing at the Oval was definitely up there in terms of venues I’ve played in, and I’ve played in a lot around the world.
“Every ball was cheered like it would be for a test match. There was a real cacophony of noise.
“I managed to score 56 and my brother got a picture of the scoreboard with my name up there. That was a really nice moment for my family.
“It was also great to play in front of my daughter Kristen. She came to the first two games and that made a big difference for me.
“It was very special. I was hoping to score a 100 for her but just came a little short.”
There were plenty of reasons to remain upbeat in the England camp with a number of good performances, including posting 200 plus totals in their two one-day internationals and opening T20 match.
They came particularly close to victory in that match, losing out by four wickets and Foy, who will assess his options for the rest of the year with a second child on the way in November, believes the team is firmly on the up.
“Although we lost the series, if you look at the results compared to previous series with India, it was a marked improvement,” he added.
“They never won by more than 85 runs. It shows the improvements we have made. India needed to play at their best of beat us and I think they definitely lifted their game.
“We still have a lot left to show but I think India showed us everything and I see Australia as a weaker side.
“I plan to play in the World Cup next year. Our target has always been to win the World Cup and we are on track to do that.”
If you or someone you know is interested in Visually Impaired cricket email [email protected] or visit www.bcew.co.uk. To stay up to date with the England Visually Impaired team visit www.ecb.co.uk
