On July 4th, 2024, Durham Cricket announced that Hollie Armitage will join Durham ahead of the 2025 season on a three-year deal, joining as their first women’s professional captain. Armitage also made her England debut earlier this year against New Zealand.
Armitage expressed enthusiasm about beginning a new chapter at Durham. She sees it as a fantastic opportunity to start fresh with a new team and aims to create something exciting in her cricketing journey.
“I am really looking forward to starting a new chapter at Durham,” said Armitage. “It’s a brilliant opportunity to start afresh, with a new team and create something exciting.”
Armitage will team up once again with Danielle Hazell, Durham’s newly appointed head coach, following their previous collaborations at Northern Diamonds in the present domestic competitions (Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and Charlotte Edwards Cup) and Northern Superchargers in The Hundred.
Armitage expressed her confidence in Durham Cricket after discussing the move with Marcus North, the club’s director of cricket. She believed joining Durham would be crucial for her cricket development. Armitage also acknowledged Danielle Hazell’s significant role in her cricketing journey over the past few years and looked forward to continuing alongside her at Durham, seeing it as a positive continuation of her career growth.
“After speaking to Marcus (North, Durham’s director of cricket), I knew this was going to be the best move for me to develop my cricket. Dani has been a big part of my journey over the last few years, and it’ll be great to continue that alongside her at Durham.”
With nearly 5,000 runs under her belt across all formats in domestic cricket, 27-year-old batting all-rounder Armitage has served as captain of the Northern Diamonds since 2020. Under her leadership, the team achieved their first title victory in 2022, clinching the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.
North, Durham’s director of cricket, expressed immense pride and hailed it as a historic moment for Durham Cricket with the appointment of their first women’s professional captain. He emphasized Hollie Armitage’s exceptional credentials, noting her extensive domestic experience in England and abroad with teams like Sydney Sixers, Central Districts, and Tasmania.
“This is a proud and historic day for Durham Cricket to be able to announce our first women’s professional captain,” said North. “Hollie is an outstanding player who has a huge amount of domestic experience, both here in England and overseas with Sydney Sixers, Central Districts and Tasmania.”
He highlighted Armitage’s leadership qualities as crucial for Durham, underscoring her track record as a prolific run-scorer at the top of the order. North emphasized her ability to influence matches positively, expressing anticipation for her arrival in November.