Essex Women have officially tied down one of their brightest rising stars, confirming that 18-year-old all-rounder Amelie Bishop has signed her first professional rookie contract with the club.
The two-year deal comes on the heels of a breakout summer for the teenager, who successfully made the leap from the Essex Academy into the senior side late in the 2026 season. Across three early appearances, Bishop immediately showed she could handle the top level—notching a composed 20 off 26 balls on debut against The Blaze at the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground, before claiming her maiden senior wicket against Yorkshire Women at Chelmsford.
For Bishop, putting pen to paper on a full-time contract marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter.
“I am very excited to sign my first rookie contract with Essex after making my debut for the Club during the summer,” Bishop said. ”I am buzzing to get started with a full winter programme before pre-season and to continue my development under Paz and our brilliant group of coaches.”
Looking ahead, the young all-rounder already has her eyes set on established first-team impact and team success. “After having a taste of professional cricket in 2026, I definitely have ambitions of becoming more of a regular performer for the team and hopefully we can make a charge for some silverware. I think we have a really good chance at competing for trophies in the near future and I can’t wait to see what our team can do.”
Her domestic breakthrough hasn’t gone unnoticed on the national stage, either. Back at the end of September, Bishop earned a spot in the England Women’s Under-19 squads for both their upcoming tour and the ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup.
Joined by Essex teammates Bryony Gillgrass and Clara Thacker, Bishop is set to feature in a five-match T20 series against India across November and December, serving as final preparation before heading to Nepal and Bangladesh for the World Cup.
Highlighting her raw attributes, Essex Women’s Assistant Coach and Batting Lead Nick Browne spoke glowingly about the teenager’s high ceiling.
“Amelie is another Academy graduate which is fantastic to see, she has really impressed after making her debut last season,” Browne noted. “She is a batter with power and six hitting ability which is rare of someone so young. Her left-arm seam is developing very well which brought a great moment last year when she claimed the wicket of Jess Jonassen.”
“Amelie’s England Women’s Under-19s call-up is a testament to her talent and potential, and we’re really excited to see how she gets on this winter and how the experience helps her develop her game further.”
With a big winter of international duty lined up before returning for full pre-season training, Bishop’s career is accelerating fast—and Essex fans will be eager to see how far her momentum takes her in 2027.
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