Jon Lewis, the former England Women’s head coach, has been named the new Women’s head coach at London Spirit in the Hundred, marking a significant reunion with Heather Knight, the franchise’s recently appointed women’s team general manager. This appointment heralds a fresh chapter for London Spirit as they aim to build on their maiden Women’s Hundred title won in 2024.
Lewis and Knight’s paths have been closely intertwined, having last worked together during the 2025 Ashes series, a campaign that proved challenging for England, leading to Lewis losing his coaching role and Knight stepping down as captain. Despite this, Knight remains a key contributor for England, finishing as the leading run-scorer in the recent 50-over World Cup, where England reached the semi-finals, bowing out to South Africa by 125 runs on October 29, 2025.
At London Spirit, Lewis’s responsibilities will focus on team selection and overall performance management. “This is a really exciting opportunity to play a part in shaping the future of this franchise,” Lewis said. “I am looking forward to building a team packed with talent and character, playing cricket that Spirit fans coming to Lord’s will get behind as we aim to win a second title this summer.”
Knight’s role as general manager will involve working closely with Lewis on staff recruitment and squad decisions, particularly ahead of the player auction scheduled for March. Her advisory role also extends to guiding the on-field leadership group, leveraging her extensive experience to support the team’s ambitions.
Lewis’s coaching tenure with England Women saw notable highs, including a semifinal finish at the 2023 ICC T20 World Cup, a victorious T20 series in India, and an unbeaten home summer in 2024 against Pakistan and New Zealand. He also guided England through a thrilling 2023 Ashes series recovery, drawing 8-8 after being 6-0 points down. However, the team’s group-stage exit at last year’s T20 World Cup and a heavy defeat in the subsequent Ashes series laid the foundation for the end of his national coaching tenure.
Beyond the international arena, Lewis has franchise coaching experience with UP Warriorz in the Women’s Premier League, enriching his portfolio with exposure to high-level franchise cricket. A former England player across all formats, Lewis also contributed as the elite pace bowling coach for the ECB, including during the Men’s 2021-22 Ashes tour and through his work with the Young Lions.
Recently, Lewis took on the director of cricket role at Gloucestershire, overseeing both men’s and women’s pathways and performance structures. His new coaching duty at London Spirit will run parallel to these responsibilities, supported by Gloucestershire’s endorsement.
London Spirit’s director of cricket, Mo Bobat, expressed clear enthusiasm for Lewis’s arrival, stating, “I know first-hand his capabilities as a coach and his qualities as a person. He has a fantastic breadth of experiences across both the women’s and men’s games, which will stand us in good stead in our pursuit of sustained success.” Bobat also highlighted the promising synergy expected between Lewis and Knight, given their established professional relationship.
With London Spirit valued at £295 million in a recent private equity sale, the highest in the Hundred franchise league, expectations are high for sustained success. The partnership between Lewis and Knight is seen as pivotal to building a strong, winning team to reclaim their title and excite the Lord’s crowd in the summer ahead.
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