Pivotal Pioneers & Incredible Keepers: Top 10-6 Women’s Players of the 21st Century
10. MEL JONES
Australian great Mel Jones spent two summers as Surrey’s overseas player in 2003 and 2004 and was pivotal in having a positive change on women’s cricket at Surrey through her high standards of preparation, training and on-field performances. Jones, who worked for the Club in various roles including coaching during her stint, scored buckets of runs across limited over and County Championship cricket, helping the Club become one of best of the early noughties. Like many before and after at Surrey, Jones has gone on to become one of the most important voices in cricket, regularly broadcasting on women’s and men’s international and domestic tournaments around the world.
9. SARAH CLARKE
Leg-spinning allrounder Sarah Clarke was an integral part of the Surrey team for 16 years from 1999 until retirement in 2015. Clarky, played in six ODIs for England from 2001-02, taking five wickets and high scoring with an unbeaten 66 in her final international appearance to lead England to victory over Scotland.  She took over 130 wickets for the Club and continually chipped in with important lower order runs – eventually finishing with over 1000 List A runs for the Three Feathers. Clarky went out with a bang in 2015, taking 3/27 and smashing 51 in her penultimate match against Yorkshire before taking 4/21 in her final match against Nottinghamshire, which included the big wicket of Danni Wyatt-Hodge.
8. CAROLINE BARRS
Left arm orthodox bowler Caroline Barrs’ Surrey career spanned three decades from 1988 until 2004. Her 124 List A wickets are the most by any bowler in Surrey history. More impressively, those wickets were taken at an average of just 16.89. A more than able left-hand batter, Barrs often chipped in with runs in the middle order. She scored over 2000 runs for the Club, including 1809 List A runs to accompany her bagful of wickets. Caroline played 10 ODIs for England, taking 17 wickets at an even better average of 9.52.
7. RHIANNA SOUTHBY
Wicketkeeper batter Rhianna Southby has some of the fastest and best hands in the game. She first represented the three Feather at 16 years of age and regularly provided back up during the Kia Super League years before making her professional debut at 18. As the women’s game evolved, Rhianna went on to represent the South East Stars, as well as representing the Surrey county side around professional commitments. She made the decision to move to Southern Vipers in 2023 – which has since evolved into Hampshire, and has gone on to be a mainstay of the Southern Brave side that won the Hundred in 2023 and England A.
6. KIRA CHATHLI
It was fitting Kira Chathli scored the winning runs as Surrey’s first professional women’s team won the Vitality Blast at the first time of asking. The wicketkeeper top order batter made her Surrey debut as a 14-year-old in the 2013 County Championship. In 2025, she scored over 500 runs, including a memorable 95 from 47 balls as Surrey despatched a strong Hampshire side at Beckenham in the Vitality County Cup. Chathli was also an integral part of the South East Stars side in the regional years, scoring 900 runs and taking numerous catches and stumpings behind the gloves, helping the side to the 2021 Charlotte Edwards Cup.
