The two Bedford Girls School alumnae making waves on the British sporting stage
Two former students of Bedford Girls School have made great strides in their respective sporting careers; the school’s newest graduates who begin their journey into the world of professional sports.
Florence Miller, who graduated from high school last summer, has signed her first professional cricket contract with The Sunrisers, while Maddie Axford has been selected for Team GB’s Women’s Elite Development Program in the world of ice hockey.
The school has recently boasted pupils in elite competitions including the Tokyo Olympics, with some taking it a step further and making headlines with medals at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Miller made her senior debut in August 2021 and has appeared in nine Sunrisers games in her career to date and has also been omnipresent in the 2022 Charlotte Edwards Cup campaign.
Miller duo for Northants
Miller was understandably delighted to have signed her first professional cricket contract, a move she will take after already impressive performances at Northamptonshire Academy as well as England’s top T20 competition.
“Being offered my first professional contract is so exciting and I can’t wait to get started this season.
“It’s also great to start my career at Jodi [Grewcock] by my side as we have played together at Northants for years so it is special to start this journey together.”
Florence is the second of the Miller family to join the ranks in Northamptonshire and brother Gus has already made his name with the men at Wantage Road.
The Sunrisers are one of eight regional sides in English domestic women’s cricket. The starting eleven compete in the 50-over Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and the T20 competition, the Charlotte Edwards Cup.
The Sunrisers also envisage a performance program at the academy and emerging player levels aimed at developing the breadth of talent across the region.
“We are excited to add these two young, high-potential local athletes to our full-time professional team,” said Sunrisers Head Coach Andy Tennant.
“Both Flo and Jodi have shown great potential with the racquet and it will be exciting to see how far their games can progress in a full-time pro program.”
Axford secures a place in the Team GB program
Meanwhile, Maddie Axford, who has been climbing the ladder since joining Bedford Hockey Club, has been accepted into the Women’s Elite Development Program for Team GB.
Axford already has an excellent resume for her age, having previously appeared at the EuroHockey Championships in Belgium and the Women’s Junior World Cup, where she won a bronze medal at Potchefstroom, South Africa, and Axford is now looking for her second appearance in the competition in 2023.
Maddie will be joined by top-flight U18 and U21 players from England, who will continue to develop their skills in tournament hockey and try to secure a place on the team for the next Women’s World Youth Championship in Chile in December.
Axford is considered one of the group’s greatest prospects. She became Player of the Match in the bronze medal match at the last World Junior Championships against India in 2021 and also scored the deciding goal on penalties.
Maddie is currently studying International Media and Communications at the University of Nottingham, where she also represents the university in the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) competition.
Both players will be looking to make their mark in 2023 to impress in their respective competitions, with the Bedford Girls School continuing to provide a stable platform for athletes to leap onto bigger and better stages.
