A Suffolk student will get a unique chance to go behind-the-scenes with the New Zealand women's cricket team at the forthcoming Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Sophie Utteridge has been selected to be the team's official liaison officer after securing a volunteer role for the games, which start on July 28.

%image(14469417, type="article-full", alt="Sophie said she was "very happy" to be chosen for the role")

Sophie, from Woolpit, will be a point of contact for the New Zealand squad during the games, travelling on the team bus and making sure they have a smooth experience while in Birmingham - a city she knows well having attended university there.

The 21-year-old, who will begin her masters in marketing at the University of Birmingham in September having just completed her undergraduate degree in Geography, said she was "very happy" to be chosen for the role.

"I knew I was going to stay and do my masters in Birmingham so I thought I'd put myself forward to be a volunteer," she said.

"I went through the process of being interviewed and to be honest, I really didn't think I'd get it, as so many people were going for it.

"But in the end they sent me an email, and I was really shocked, but very happy to be doing it."

%image(14469418, type="article-full", alt="Heather Knight is now captain of the England women's cricket team, but her sporting journey started in Devon")

Sophie is a keen cricketer herself and began playing the sport at Woolpit Cricket Club aged 10 before going on to represent her county.

Birmingham 2022 will not only see Twenty-20 cricket make its Commonwealth Games debut, but will also mark a first appearance for the women’s game, and Sophie said the sport is continuing to grow in popularity.

"I started playing when I was 10, it was just something everyone in my village did. It was like a Friday night thing, everyone went and played cricket," Sophie said.

"At the time I was one of the only girls there, so I was playing a lot with the boys, but women's cricket has grown so much recently.

"I wrote my dissertation on gender discrimination in cricket and how we can improve the women's game even further, it's something I'm really interested in.

"The women's game is growing massively, you're seeing it more and more everywhere you go."

%image(14469419, type="article-full", alt="Sophie will be involved in the day-to-day arrangements for the team")

New Zealand will face-off against South Africa in their first match in the eight-team women's tournament at Edgbaston on July 30.

Wicketkeeper-batter Sophie, who also plays for the University of Birmingham's team, said she is most looking forward to meeting New Zealand stars Sophie Devine and Sophie Bates.

She added: "I want England to win but hopefully New Zealand will do quite well also."