Some fantastic news for women’s cricket – the Rachael Heyhoe-Flint trophy kicks off later this week. The Cup, in memory of the first female cricketer in the Hall of Fame, former English captain, Rachael Heyhoe-Flint, will see eight regional teams from different counties of England and Wales, face off. On Monday, Western Storm announced their playing squad for the 2020 season. Let’s take a look:
Western Storm Squad:
Sophie Luff (Captain) – Somerset
Fi Morris (Vice-Captain) – Hampshire
Danielle Gibson – Wales, England Academy
Claire Nicholas – Wales
Alex Griffith – Wales, England Training Squad
Georgia Hennessy – Somerset
Nat Wraith – Somerset, England Training Squad
Lauren Filer – Somerset, England Training Squad
Steph Hutchins – Devon
Lauren Parfitt – Wales
Emily Edgcombe – Cornwall
Niamh Holland – Somerset
Emma Corney – Devon
Abbie Whybrow – Gloucestershire
Head Coach Mark O’Leary seemed delighted with the squad at his disposal, which is a blend of youth and experience. A new tournament has given the management to scout new players, not in the system earlier, and provide them with a shot at a very competitive level. Speaking on the squad, O’Leary said, “The majority of the squad are taken from the region, and we believe that’s really important. To be able to pick from the best of the talent from across the whole of the South West and Wales is extremely exciting.”
Western Storm represents the counties of South-West England, and Wales, including Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Somerset, who have a long tradition of county cricket in their blood. Western Storm will come up against the likes of Southern Vipers, Jenny Gunn’s Northern Diamonds, Tash Farrant led South East Stars, Central Sparks, Sunrisers, Lightning, and Alex Hartley’s Thunders.
Stressing on the importance of not only winning but developing the region in the game, by bringing young players from the area into the system, the coach added, “We want to promote home-grown players, and we want girls to see that Western Storm can provide a route for them to achieve their goals. I’ve done an awful lot of scouting, and I’ve been overwhelmed by the quality that is available in the region. I’m excited to see how this group will develop.”
Regional Director of Women’s Cricket, Lisa Pagett said: “I’m really excited by the squad we have put together. There’s a great blend of senior players mixed in with some really exciting young talent from across the region.
“It’s obviously been a challenging phase for lots of different reasons, and in an ideal world we would have had a bit longer to have seen players in action. However, having seen the group train together and witnessed how quickly they have progressed in a very short space of time leaves me in no doubt that we have the right group of players to be competitive in the Rachel Heyhoe-Flint Trophy.”
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