Lucky to play in my first Women's T20 WC at 19, says Scotland’s Darcey Carter

New Delhi: It was in the year 2023 that Darcey Carter showed her potential as a skilled off-spin all-rounder for the Scotland women’s team. She kicked off the year by being selected for Scotland’s first-ever U19 Women’s T20 World Cup squad in South Africa, and later made her senior white-ball debuts in July.

2023 ended on a bright note for Darcey as she was nominated for the ICC Women’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year Award, alongside eventual winner Phoebe Litchfield, Marufa Akter and Lauren Bell. Darcey, who has qualified to play for Scotland through her mother’s Scottish heritage, is now geared up to take part in the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup in the UAE from October 3-20.

"Seeing England win ODI World Cup in 2017 was really great. I was growing up watching World Cups, it’s always been a dream of mine to get to one. Qualifying for the under 19 World Cup was the first time I was in a World Cup. I was part of a new group for Scotland. Just to be able to be a part of that first ever under 19 World Cup was a really great experience.

"Definitely a bit of butterflies. It’s like the biggest tournament in cricket and it’s really exciting. There’s more excitement now. I’m really lucky to be able to play in my first World Cup at 19. Like, there’s not an awful lot of people that get to do that.

"The fact that I’ve already got that opportunity is great. So I’m definitely more excited than nervous. The prep before that first game is probably when it’ll start sinking in and actually realise that it’s pretty big deal of being at a World Cup," said Darcey to IANS in the run-up to the tournament.

Hailing from Bexley, Darcey has featured in 17 T20Is for Scotland - making 335 runs at an average of 23.92 and picking 15 wickets while averaging 12.93. She has mentioned that her parents will be making the journey to the UAE in order to join the group of Scotland’s supporters, which comprises other players’ families and friends.

"I haven’t been in the group for that long, so I haven’t experienced all the other qualifiers. When I came in to the team, we managed to qualify in my first qualifiers, it feels great to be able to do that and get to a World Cup, especially for all the other players that have been here for such a long time," she added.

In just her second international game in July 2023, Darcey made an immediate impression by striking 53 not out - her maiden half-century in the tri-series against the Netherlands. Her best bowling figures is 3-11, again coming against the Netherlands.

Darcey acknowledged that the call-up to the senior Scotland team came as a surprise. Although Darcey’s life as an international cricketer has been enjoyable, it has not been entirely comfortable.

"Since then, just the tours after that and just trying to like find my place in the squad - it’s been really exciting and also quite nerve-racking sometimes.

"Like coming into a new group and playing international cricket. But I really enjoyed it. I wouldn’t say I’m comfortable, but definitely a bit more settled and not as nervous as I was when making my international debut."

Scotland, an associate nation member of the International Cricket Council (ICC), in Group B of the T20 World Cup alongside England, South Africa, West Indies, and Bangladesh. Darcey remarked Scotland is determined to show their potential on the largest stage they have ever faced in their cricketing history.

"It just allows us to play with freedom and play our style of cricket. If we can win a couple of games, that’d be great. But it’s also just showing all the other teams what we can do. An England game will always be a really exciting game. Like that rivalry, it’s been there for quite a while. So I think that’s definitely the game I’m most excited to play.

"Our analysts will be sorting out like facts to help us look at what the other teams will be bringing, like what they do, and that will be really helpful. But at the moment, you just have to think you are just here to play the game. I don’t try not to focus too much on who we’re playing against, just try and turn up and do my best."

During her formative years, Darcey, a product of the Kent Talent Pathway system, witnessed her father’s cricket matches due to her mother’s efforts to take her and her brother to watch him play.

As five-year-olds, she and her brother took to playing cricket. At an under 11s practice, her coach introduced the playing group to practising spin bowling, and Darcey developed a liking for bowling off-spin.

"I finished school last year, so obviously, balancing school and international cricket is quite difficult. It’s not that easy and there’s a lot of things you have to kind of try and balance to make both things work. But with me finishing school, I have a lot more time to just focus on cricket, which has been really helpful for me in the last couple of months."

Outside of the T20 World Cup, Darcey hopes to explore a bit more of Dubai, something which she didn’t get to do last time during the qualifiers. "We have a couple of people on our team who are social secretaries, so they’ll sort out fun little things for us to do as a team to just keep that bonding going. I’m not sure we’ve got a plan yet, but I’m sure there’ll be a few things lined up."

As Scotland makes its debut in the Women’s T20 World Cup, Darcey, a devoted fan of England’s left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone, wishes for the team’s success to inspire a surge of interest in women’s cricket among people back home.

"Sophie Ecclestone is the best T20 bowler in the world, and like me, is a spinner as well. Her bowling is really great, and she’s the best. I’m just hoping that it really proves it’s possible for associate nations to be able to make it to a World Cup and hopefully inspire those younger girls playing cricket in Scotland, that it’s possible to play at a T20 World Cup."