Bess Heath, the 23-year-old English wicketkeeper, made her England debut on December 10th, 2023, against India at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Although her international career is still in its early stages, Heath has been a force to reckon with in domestic cricket, amassing over 3,000 runs since her debut.
In the ongoing Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, Heath showcased her talent by scoring 227 runs in 7 innings, boasting an impressive average of 37.83 and a strike rate of 100.44. Her top score of 63, a match-winning knock against the South East Stars, is a testament to her potential.
The Derbyshire-born cricketer is set to embark on a new journey, having signed a three-year deal with Durham, which will replace the Northern Diamonds in the women’s county competition from 2025. On joining Durham, Heath expressed her excitement: “I am so excited to be joining Durham from next season and get going in the North East. The opportunity to join Durham is something I am very much looking forward to, and hopefully, I can play my part in creating new history for Durham.”
Marcus North, Durham’s Director of Cricket, echoed this sentiment, stating: “Bess is one of the most exciting young talents in England, and we are thrilled to have recruited her to Durham on a long-term contract. Despite being only 22, she already has a tremendous amount of experience in the domestic game, and we look forward to seeing her continue to thrive at Durham as she looks to add more England caps.”
Meanwhile, former English cricketer David Ripley, renowned for coaching Northamptonshire’s men to two T20 Blast titles in 2013 and 2016, will officially take on the role of Head Coach for Northamptonshire’s women’s team in their inaugural Tier 2 season next year.
Ripley commented, “I’m delighted to be joining the Women’s Steelbacks as Head Coach, it’s exciting times ahead as the new format is rolled out. As well as building a competitive senior team, I hope to help develop our younger girls into future professional players, in partnership with our pathway coaches.”
Both Heath and Ripley are set to make waves in their respective roles, promising an exciting future for English cricket.
[Quotes sourced from ESPN]