A SCHOOLGIRL has been bowled over after it was announced Scotland’s cricketers would wear her design to take on the best in the world.

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is due to take place in October and November, with Scotland one of the 16 countries taking part.

Cricket Scotland launched a competition in May calling for anyone under the age of 18 to design a shirt that the team could wear at the competition in the United Arab Emirates and Oman.

Rebecca Downie’s patterned design was chosen from nearly 200 entries, with the deadline for entries falling on her birthday.

On her daughter being named as the winner, mum Anne said: “I think people would have heard the screams of joy from across Haddington!

“I got an email from Cricket Scotland, who gave us the news.

“It was lovely timing because the day before she was due to go into her final week at primary school.

“They all got sent home because there had been a positive case of Covid-19.

“From the lowest of the low and not finishing school to finding out she had won the competition was a real boost to the spirits.”

The entries were shortlisted by a panel before the Scotland men’s team unanimously picked out the Haddington youngster’s design as their favourite.

Cricket Scotland is in the process of transforming the 12-year-old’s design into physical shirts that will be worn by the players.

Clothing partner Gray Nicolls has been tasked with creating a prototype, before Rebecca meets the team, with Scotland facing Bangladesh, Oman and Papua New Guinea in the first round of group games.

Anne added: “Rebecca will get her own replica shirt and get the chance to meet the team over the summer.

“She is just quite flabbergasted.

“To meet the team is an amazing part of the prize and the whole family is excited.

“Everybody will be tuning in to watch the World Cup.

“I don’t think it has really sunk in – the enormity of the shirt, so I think perhaps it will become more real when we have seen it in the flesh.

“Right now, it is her design on paper and how it will be translated into the final product will be really exciting to see but to see it on television, I don’t think we have really understood that.

“It does not seem quite real yet.”

Anne said her daughter, who has a younger sister, five-year-old Melissa, had shown an interest in cricket through one of the teachers at her school.

Classmates were encouraged to enter the competition, with Rebecca, who enjoys arts and crafts, submitting three designs. The winning design was the youngster’s favourite and the one she spent the most time on to ensure the pattern was correct.