The Old Woking Cricket Club OWLS women's walking cricket team enjoyed a once-in-a-lifetime experience when they took part in the opening ceremony of the Women’s T20 World Cup semi-final at the Oval in London.

The team carried one of the national flags during the pre-match ceremony ahead of the semi-final between Australia and the West Indies. The OWLS were nominated by the Surrey Cricket Foundation to participate in the event, which was organised by the International Cricket Council (ICC), the global governing body for cricket.

Preparations for the ceremony took around two hours, with participants rehearsing every stage of the flag presentation. Three flags were involved: the national flags of Australia and the West Indies, together with the ICC flag. Because of their size, the flags were stored in a building opposite the Oval, meaning the teams had to carry them across the main road into the stadium.

The OWLS chose to carry the West Indies flag, a fitting tribute as one of the team’s members is originally from Grenada.

Following rehearsals, the group enjoyed lunch before changing into their official ICC uniforms.

The roads outside the Oval were temporarily closed to allow the flagbearers to make their entrance into the stadium. The organisers paired the OWLS with younger volunteers, mainly schoolchildren from Surrey schools, who walked backwards to unfurl the large flags while the walking cricket players held one side.

As the Australia and West Indies teams were introduced to the crowd, the flagbearers entered the Oval’s outfield. Against the backdrop of the national anthems, the flags were unfurled across the playing surface.

OWLS captain Sara Davies said: “I wasn't prepared for the emotion I felt as we held the flags of the two competing nations. Standing on the Oval during the national anthems was an incredibly moving experience and one none of us will ever forget.”