Five Kent Women stars awarded 2021/22 regional contracts

A large proportion of Kent Women’s 2021 double-winning side have been awarded professional contracts to Women’s Regional Centres ahead of the 2022 domestic season.

Kent Women Vice Captain Tash Farrant and and 2021 Kent Women Batter of the Year, all-rounder Alice Davidson-Richards, have both earned contracts at South East Stars, the Women’s Regional Centre associated with both Kent and Surrey.

Wicketkeeper-batter Sarah Bryce and Kent Women Bowler of the Year, Kirstie Gordon, will remain a part of the Lightning setup based at Loughborough; whilst Kent Women’s Players’ Player of the Year, Grace Scrivens, will be contracted to the Sunrisers.

A South East Stars side including four Kent Women players lifted the inaugural Charlotte Edwards Cup in 2021, the regional domestic T20 tournament being named after Kent Women legend, Charlotte Edwards.

Each women’s regional side will have an additional professional contract this season with the ECB funding a sixth contract per team for 2021/22.

With Northern Diamonds and Thunder each set to fund additional contracts, it will take the number of professional players in the women’s regional structure from 41 to 51. Including the England Women Centrally Contracted players, there are 67 professional women’s cricketers in England and Wales.

Clare Connor, ECB Managing Director of Women’s Cricket, said: “It’s absolutely fundamental to the future of women’s and girls’ cricket in England and Wales that we’re able to continue increasing the depth of our regional game by offering more professional contracts to our players.

“We cannot overstate the impact that a new professional structure is having on our game. We’ve already seen the positive impact it has had on players’ performances in a relatively short space of time. The players are thriving, raising standards across the game and deepening the potential talent pool for England Women.

“Just as important is the visibility of these players, showing young girls that cricket is a game that can offer them a professional future.

“Professionalising the women’s game is a significant chapter for our sport and I’m thrilled that we’re able to continue that momentum by increasing the number of professional contracts on offer.”

Central Sparks	Lightning	Northern Diamonds	Southern Vipers
Emily Arlott	Kathryn Bryce	Hollie Armitage	Georgia Adams
Ami Campbell	Sarah Bryce	Jenny Gunn	Lauren Bell
Gwenan Davies	Bethan Ellis	Bess Heath	Maia Bouchier
Abbey Freeborn	Kirstie Gordon	Beth Langston	Charlie Dean
Eve Jones	Lucy Higham	Katie Levick	Tara Norris
Issy Wong	Marie Kelly	Linsey Smith	Paige Scholfield
		*Sterre Kalis
		*Rachel Slater

South East Stars	Sunrisers	Thunder	Western Storm
Alice Capsey	Amara Carr	Georgie Boyce	Dani Gibson
Aylish Cranstone	Kelly Castle	Alex Hartley	Alex Griffiths
Alice Davidson-Richards	Naomi Dattani	Laura Jackson	Georgia Hennessey
Danielle Gregory	Jo Gardner	Hannah Jones	Sophie Luff
Tash Farrant	Cordelia Griffith	Emma Lamb	Fi Morris
Bryony Smith	Grace Scrivens	Ellie Threlkeld	Nat Wraith
		** Phoebe Graham