Birmingham Phoenix Women have named Alistair Maiden as their head coach for the upcoming 2025 season of The Hundred. Maiden, 42, steps into the role following the departure of Ben Sawyer, who completed a five-year tenure.
A seasoned figure in cricket coaching, Maiden most recently served as an assistant for London Spirit Women, helping steer them to their first Hundred title this past summer. In addition to this achievement, he was recently appointed as the inaugural head coach for Bears Women, further solidifying his expanding presence in women’s cricket.
Though Maiden has been largely involved in coaching men’s teams in recent years, he was a part of the coaching team which led the London Spirit to their first title, Maiden openly shared his eagerness to return to coaching women’s teams and stated he looks forward to this new opportunity. He also officially joined Bears Women, based at Edgbaston, on November 1 to begin preparations for the upcoming 2025 season.
Before his coaching career, Maiden built a solid foundation as a player. In first-class cricket, he played ten matches, scoring 468 runs with a commendable average of 37.33. His career highlight came with an impressive 211 not out for Durham University in 2005, marking the highest individual first-class score for the university and its first double-century. He also made a notable appearance for British Universities against Bangladesh’s touring team in 2005, where he scored 20 runs before being bowled by Mashrafe Mortaza.
Maiden’s playing career extended to Minor Counties cricket, where he initially represented Staffordshire in 2006, making three appearances in the Minor Counties Championship. The following season, he joined Northumberland, featuring in four Minor Counties Championship games and one MCCA Knockout Trophy match between 2007 and 2009.
In February 2022, Yorkshire men’s team brought him on board as an assistant coach, marking a step into high-level coaching roles. With a wealth of experience and success on both the men’s and women’s sides of the game, Alistair Maiden’s appointment signals a fresh era for Birmingham Phoenix Women as they prepare for the 2025 season with an accomplished coach at the helm.
Birmingham Phoenix’s best finish in their four seasons came in their inaugural year when they reached the Eliminator. They narrowly missed the knockouts the next season, finishing 4th, but saw disappointing finishes in the two seasons that followed, ending 8th and 7th. With a new head coach, they’ll now aim to turn things around and chase glory.
Loves all things female cricket
