South East Stars have named a 19-strong squad for the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and Regional T20 competition in 2021.
Captained by Tash Farrant and with Johann Myburgh as Head Coach, Stars will represent the Surrey & Kent region at the highest level of domestic women’s cricket.
Formed after the 2019 season as part of the ECB’s plan to transform women’s and girl’s cricket in this country, their first season was largely disrupted by lockdowns in the UK. They did manage a truncated 50 over Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy campaign, in which South East Stars won two and lost four of their games.
Since then, Myburgh has joined the setup and an extensive winter training programme for all five full-time professionals and members of the wider squad has been completed.
England left arm seamer Farrant led the side on the field in 2020 and will continue to do this year, with fellow international Bryony Smith as her vice captain. Kent’s Alice Davidson-Richards and Surrey’s Aylish Cranstone & Sophia Dunkley complete the list of full-time professionals.
11 Surrey players in total are included. Batter Kirstie White, all-rounders Chloe Brewer and Alice Capsey, wicket keepers Kira Chathli and Rhianna Southby and bowlers Eva Gray (right arm medium), Danielle Gregory (leg spin) and Hannah Jones (off-spin)
In addition to Farrant and Davidson-Richards, a further four Kent players are in the group. They are batters Phoebe Franklin & Susie Rowe, seamer Grace Gibbs and 17-year-old spinner Kalea Moore. Kent’s players will be full of confidence having won the South East group in the recent County T20 competition.
England contracted Sussex bowler Freya Davies will be with the Stars when international commitments allow. Essex’s Emma Jones is the remaining player.
South East Stars begin their Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy campaign on Saturday 29th May with a trip to Essex’s Cloudfm County Ground to face Sunrisers. They play their first home match two days later, when Southern Vipers come to Kent’s County Ground in Beckenham.
You can view all of their fixtures this season here.
Entry is free to all spectators at every South East Stars home game this season. For those that can’t make it, you can watch a live stream on their YouTube channel here or get live updates from each match via their Twitter and Instagram feeds.
FULL SQUAD (Name, Squad Number, County)
Tash Farrant (C), 53, Kent
Bryony Smith (VC), 2, Surrey
Alice Davidson-Richards, 24, Kent
Sophia Dunkley, 47, Surrey
Aylish Cranstone, 28, Surrey
Freya Davies, 5, Sussex
Dani Gregory, 19, Surrey
Eva Gray, 18, Surrey
Grace Gibbs, 61, Kent
Hannah Jones, 8, Surrey
Kirstie White, 14, Surrey
Phoebe Franklin, 10, Kent
Rhianna Southby, 17, Surrey
Susie Rowe, 6, Kent
Chloe Brewer, 2, Surrey
Alice Capsey, 26, Surrey
Kira Chathli, 20, Surrey
Emma Jones, 88, Essex
Kalea Moore, 27, Kent
