For the first time, a Women’s U19 World Cup is happening! Tomorrow, a squad of England’s top 15 young players will fly out to South Africa. 16 nations (South Africa, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, West Indies, Zimbabwe, USA, UAE, Scotland, Rwanda and Indonesia) will compete, split into four groups.
England fall into Group B where they will face Pakistan, Rwanda and Zimbabwe. The top three teams from each group will progress to the Super 6, where they will be then split into two groups of 6, Group A facing Group D and B facing C. The Winner of Super 6 Group 1 will face the Runner-up of Super 6 Group 2 and the Winner of Super 6 Group 2 will face the Runner-up of Super 6 Group 1. The final is set to be held at Senwes Cricket Stadium in Potchefstroom, North West Province on the 29th of January 2023.
In April 2021, the ICC announced that the tournament had been moved from its original slot at the end of 2021 to January 2023 due to Covid-19 meaning that the team looks very different to what it would have been two years earlier with all players required to be aged 18 or younger on the 31st August 2022.
England’s 15 player squad is made up of the best young talent in the country some of those who hold professional contracts and some who have not yet made their senior debuts for their region yet. After regional festivals, the School Games and observation across the English summer, the team has been selected.
Ellie Anderson — (Central Sparks)
Role: All-Rounder (RHB & RA Seam Bowler)
Team(s): Worcestershire/Central Sparks Academy
All-rounder, Ellie Anderson, has worked her way through the Worcestershire ranks, solidifying herself in the senior side in 2018 and is now a part of the Central Sparks Academy. Anderson has been part of Central Sparks senior squads but has not yet made her debut. In an unbeaten campaign, she top scored in the 2022 season for Worcestershire with 43*, taking 9 wickets, her best figures being 3/20 against Staffordshire.
Anderson has been a vital part of the Worcestershire Women U18s side. As one of the more experienced players, she captained the side to the quarter-finals of the U18s County Cup. She totalled 333 runs across the season, high scoring with 70*. Additionally, she took 14 wickets with best figures of 4/15 against Leicestershire Women U18 in a 14-run victory.
Hannah Baker — (Central Sparks)
Role: Leg-Spin Bowler (RA)
Team(s): Warwickshire/Central Sparks/Welsh Fire
Hannah Baker was involved in the first year of the new regional set-up, playing for Central Sparks from age 16. As an established part of Central Sparks’ bowling attack, Baker took 12 wickets in 13 games across the 2022 season being one of Spark’s most economical bowlers. The leg-spinner made her senior county debut aged 14 for Worcestershire and then made the move to Warwickshire in 2020, becoming their leading wicket-taker for the 2021 season.
After some impressive performances for Central Sparks in 2021, she was signed by Welsh Fire for the inaugural season of the Hundred as an injury replacement, re-signing for the 2022 season. Hannah will not only bring her wicket-taking abilities to the side but also her wealth of experience. Baker has played against some of the best in the world after featuring in the Hundred but also as she played against India in a warm up match.
Josie Groves — (Blaze)
Role: Leg-Spin Bowler (RA)
Team(s): Northamptonshire/Blaze
A product of Lightning’s Academy, Josie Groves was given her opportunity to represent the senior side in September of 2021. In the 2022 season, Groves represented Lighting 8 times, taking 8 wickets, dismissing the likes of Western Storm captain, Sophie Luff and England batter, Maia Bouchier. Although she is predominantly a bowler, she scored her maiden, senior half-century for Lightning in 2022 against the mighty Southern Vipers in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, scoring 55 from 39 deliveries. She speaks about how unexpected her debut was back in 2021.
The night before, I was late for the team meeting in the hotel because I was at school. I went in the morning, got there early, just did a bit of bowling before the actual bowlers came in to warm up for the game. I finished that and the coach was like, you’re gonna play, so it was all kind of a shock!
Remarkably, Groves balances all this while also playing netball for Saracens Mavericks and Northants Storm and most recently was selected in the 2022/23 intake for the Roses Academy Programme, the level below the senior national team. She speaks positively about the intense training the U19s team has been doing over the last few months.
It’s been unreal to be fair! The coaching and the staff are all incredible and with the girls, it’s weird because you come across everyone just throughout the year, playing against each other but you don’t really get to talk to them. We have the school games and things so you get to know four of five so I’m not meeting nineteen new people all at once. It’s a great environment to be in and the cricket is obviously a very good standard!
Liberty Heap — (Thunder)
Role: All-Rounder (RHB & RA Off-Spin)
Team(s): Lancashire/Thunder
Liberty Heap is the oldest member of what is a very young side. Making her senior county debut back in 2019, Heap progressed to the Thunder senior side in 2020, performing with both bat and ball.
Liberty’s most notable senior performance was her remarkable innings of 36* from 18 balls in a losing cause against Western Storm in the last game of the 2022 season. In the same match, Heap took the wicket of former England player, Fran Wilson, again proving herself as a reliable all-rounder. Liberty speaks of that innings very modestly!
I had Ellie at the crease which was quite nice. At first when I went in I was probably a little bit nervous. Ellie said to me, just stay calm. It’s the same for anyone at regional level, you wouldn’t be there if you weren’t good enough. It’s just about keeping composure and that put me at ease. I just thought I just need to play my game and if it doesn’t work, I can go again
Heap is currently taking a gap year and is one of very few players not currently having to balance education and cricket. Liberty spoke about how tough it was to balance the two.
I found that very difficult at the time to be honest. It was a case of trying to prioritise different things at different times so with exams coming up I would try and make sure I was getting enough revision in but then also not wanting my cricket to fall behind. I really feel for the girls that are still in college and school right now because I would not be able to do it with the amount of training!
Niamh Holland — (Western Storm)
Role: All-rounder (RHB & RA Seam Bowler)
Team(s): Somerset/Western Storm
Niamh Holland was involved with the first year of the regional set-up. Her call-up was perhaps premature, only taking 1 wicket all season and not featuring in 2021. However, after spending the 2021 season in the Academy, she returned to the senior squad in 2022, taking 4 wickets.
Holland has been outstanding in the Women’s T20 County Championships and in 2022 she was the leading wicket-taker with 12 to her name and helped her native Somerset reach the final where they narrowly lost to Warwickshire. Her most notable bowling performance was against Warwickshire where she finished with figures of 3/11 from her four overs — the most economical player in her side.
Alongside her successes for the senior team, Holland has also had outstanding moments for the U18s side. In a 37-run triumph over Wales, Niamh was unbeaten on 105*. In a fixture later in the season — against Wales — she took 2/13.
Ryana MacDonald-Gay — (South East Stars)
Role: Seam Bowler (RA)
Team(s): Kent/South East Stars/Oval Invincibles
Another Academy graduate, Ryana MacDonald-Gay, has just signed her first professional contract for the South East Stars. MacDonald-Gay had many successes playing for the Oval Invincibles in their second winning season, taking 5 wickets in 7 games.
I played all the games which was so unexpected, I was gobsmacked when he [Jonathan Batty] said you’re in the playing XI. I had been playing hockey so I hadn’t played a huge amount of Stars games for the seniors so coming into the competition, I was really nervous and I remember for the first game I was shaking. We played the later slot at the Oval in the opener, it was a massive crowd — you couldn’t hear anyone!
MacDonald-Gay was then selected to play against India in a warm-up match ahead of their series against England in September. Her contribution was apparent, taking an outstanding 6/18, including a hat-trick, in a T20! In this game, she took the wickets of international stars, Shafali Verma, Harmanpreet Kaur, Sneh Rana, Pooja Vastrakar, Deepti Sharma and Renuka Singh. As most call ups go, there is usually a funny story behind it — this is no exception.
It was out of the blue. There was a training squad of about 36 people and most people who were in the eliminator or the final weren’t going to get selected due to workload. I got a phone call from one of the coaches the day after the final, it was 9.30 in the morning — really early! He was like do you fancy going to Durham on Tuesday to play the India match and I was like you mean tomorrow!
Emma Marlow — (Northern Diamonds)
Role: Off-Spin Bowler (RA)
Team(s): Yorkshire/Northern Diamonds/Trent Rockets
Emma Marlow is the Northern Diamond who made her name for herself this summer. Debuting on the first day of the season against Lightning, Marlow bowled both England opener Tammy Beaumont and Scotland captain, Kathryn Bryce out, finishing with figures of 2/12 from her 4 overs. Emma finished the summer on a high, winning the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy at Lords, something she had not imagined doing at the start of the season. Emma spoke fondly of that day and a special memory she has with both Northern Diamonds and England U19 teammate, Lizzie Scott.
Me and Lizzie Scott, we got there very early probably half an hour before the meet time. We just wandered over and we just stood on the balcony like what is happening? I think neither of us would have expected to be there at the start of the season. A lot of photos were taken a lot of badgering but what else are you gonna do, I mean it’s Lord’s. Walking through the long room was mad, it was unreal.
Emma’s impressive 14 wickets across the season for the Northern Diamonds’ senior side helped her selection for this World Cup alongside her Hundred contract with the Trent Rockets where she did not play a game but spent plenty of time learning from world-class players such as Katherine Brunt, Ellyse Villani and Mignon Du Preez. Speaking to Emma back at the end of September, it had not been announced yet if she was apart of the squad.
It’s the dream, I mean going to South Africa representing your country it would be unbelievable I think it’s something at the start of the year it was a sort of pipe dream I guess I knew it was happening but I never really sort of thought much about it until we’ve got to this last stage of the season
Charis Pavely — (Central Sparks)
Role: All-Rounder (LHB & LA Off-Spin)
Team(s): Worcestershire/Central Sparks Academy
All-rounder Charis Pavely, a left-handed batter and left-arm spinner is the second Worcestershire player in the squad. Similarly to teammate Ellie Anderson, she has been a key part of Worcestershire Women’s team, winning their group in the T20 County Championships in 2022. Across Charis’ 40 recorded games in the 2022 season, she scored 1137 runs, top scoring with 146* for her club team, Old Elizabethans CC. Pavely’s performances for the Worcestershire Women U18s side must also be noted. In 13 innings, she scored 610 runs, top scoring with 103* against Warwickshire U18s in a 146 run victory. Charis took 4/12 to register her best performance of the season with the ball against Shropshire.
Pavely is also on the Central Sparks Academy, featuring regularly and like many of the U19s team has played multiple times in the School Games held at Loughborough University.
Davina Perrin — (Central Sparks)
Role: Batter (RH)
Team(s): Staffordshire/Central Sparks/Birmingham Phoenix
Davina Perrin is one of the most remarkable young talents in England. Only days after her 15th birthday, Perrin made her debut for Central Sparks and has become a vital member of the team, often opening the batting and can bowl both seam and leg-spin. Perrin is one of the most experienced players in the Staffordshire Women’s team and showed her professionalism, scoring 87 with the addition of 6 wickets to her name, despite predominantly being an opening batter. U19s teammate, Alexa Stonehouse concisely sums Davina up very well.
She’s very good — a class cricketer
At only 16 years old, Davina signed her first professional contract with Sparks and was a part of Birmingham Phoenix’s squad in 2022. Her maturity is apparent being one of the most experienced players in this side whilst also being the youngest! Whilst most of the team will be studying for their A-Levels/BTechs, Davina is still to sit her GCSEs, only being in Y11.
Lizzie Scott — (Northern Diamonds)
Role: Seam Bowler (RA)
Team(s): North East Warriors/Northern Diamonds
Northumberland-born and bred, Lizzie Scott has had a whirlwind of a summer. Starting the season in the Northern Diamonds Academy, coached by Courtney Winfield-Hill, she was promoted to the senior side in September 2022, making her debut in the penultimate group game of the season. Since Durham merged with her home county of Northumberland, Scott has been a part of the North East Warriors side. Last season, she took the wicket of professionally contracted Laura Jackson, with her season-best performance for the team — 2/14 from her 4 overs. For the U18s, she took 4/15 against Yorkshire U18s where they won by 49 runs.
Scott played a key role in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Final in a winning campaign against the title holders, Southern Vipers. She bowled Georgia Elwiss for 3 with figures of 1/10 from 5 overs. Playing at Lords in a final was not something Lizzie had planned to achieve this year, but U19 selection was something she had in mind.
I’d known about it for almost two, three years and I remember I was in a PE lesson and I was back at school and I was asked, what is your ultimate goal for the next five years and I said, as if it was never gonna happen, I mean there is U19 World Cup that I would love to be a part of
Like most of this team, Lizzie is not afraid of a challenge and cannot wait to hopefully face players such as Shafali Verma if they progress to the latter stages of the tournament.
I literally found it out through our group chat that we’ve got so someone sent a screenshot of this news article that she [Shafali Verma] was being announced and we were all just like oh my God this is insane, we’re gonna be playing against one of the best players in the world so I think if I ever did get the chance to bowl at her, I would just be almost in awe. I just feel that this is such an honour but even so imagine taking her wicket or something it would be insane, another bucket list thing to pick up
Grace Scrivens — (Sunrisers)
Role: All-Rounder (LHB & RA Off-Spin)
Team(s): Kent/Sunrisers/London Spirit
Last season, at only 18, Grace Scrivens was the backbone of Sunrisers in a winless campaign in both the Charlotte Edwards Cup and the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy. In the Charlotte Edwards Cup she scored 141 runs and was joint leading wicket-taker with 7 to her name. To nobody’s surprise, she was again the top run scorer in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy accumulating 297 runs, including four half-centuries, finishing as the third highest run-scorer in the tournament. her achievements did not stop there as she took 13 wickets making her the joint-leading wicket-taker for the tournament with Northern Diamonds’ Linsey Smith who played a game more than her.
Grace knows all too well about how to be resilient as a team and needing to bounce back from losses. Her captaincy experience with Kent and the natural leadership qualities she has, places her in good contention to be captain, and if not, this expertise will be valuable especially if the team are to make it to the latter stages of the competition. Teammate, Maddie Ward speaks highly of Grace’s natural leadership and professionalism.
Having Grace Scrivens involved, she’s a massive influence on everyone. Honestly, she’s one of the most professional people that I’ve ever met in my life. She’s great and to be so young and that knowledgeable and have the work ethic that she does, I think she rubs off great on everyone in the team
Scrivens received a professional contract for Sunrisers in the winter of 2021 which she balanced with her final year of A-Levels. She was retained by Hundred side, London Spirit who she played for in its inaugural year and has played alongside talent such as Amelia Kerr, Beth Mooney, Deandra Dottin and Chloe Tryon.
Sophia Smale — (Western Storm)
Role: Off-Spin Bowler (LA)
Team(s): Wales/Western Storm/Oval Invincibles
Welsh spinner, Sophia Smale is one of the most recognisable names in the squad. After making her senior debut for Western Storm last May in the Charlotte Edwards Cup, Smale was called up to the Oval Invincibles side in the Hundred as a last-minute injury replacement. Taking her opportunity, she finished the tournament as joint-leading wicket-taker for the Invincibles with eight wickets at an average of 18.25, notably taking the wicket of Australian legend, Alyssa Healey with her second delivery of the tournament. It does seem to be the case that Smale only gets A-Listers out. With tons of wickets to her name including Amy Jones, Sophia Dunkley, Alice Capsey, Smriti Mandhana, Emma Lamb, Erin Burns, Sophie Devine, Dannie Wyatt, Thalia McGrath; the list is endless, it is clear their is something quite special about Sophia’s bowling.
I guess the stats say so, I do always get chat like oh you’re only getting A-Listers out which is true and I don’t mind it, I ‘d rather get those out than someone who’s not as well known but I guess it just just comes doesn’t it, if they missed the ball they’re out sort of thing. I love a challenge and I think that might be the case obviously, I know when a big name player comes up they’re going to be good. I think part of me might be a little bit more determined to get them out
In the autumn, Smale signed a professional contract with Western Storm whilst still studying for her A-Levels in her final year. Sophia’s not just an economical bowler as she also has a List A half-century to her name and has an incredible batting technique which she credits to her grandpa for teaching her from a young age.
My grandpa, he’s been my coach since I was five and he taught me the basic technique. He watched me play at Bristol on Saturday, it’s the first time he’s ever come to watch me. I remember I stood at a cover and I honestly just welled up, I had my sunglasses on luckily but he means the world to me. He’s like 87, he can’t really walk and just to see how proud he is of me and just the fact that I’m achieving my dream.
If she wasn’t already talented enough, she also plays hockey and has played through the Wales age groups as well as casually playing county tennis as a child!
Seren Smale — (Thunder)
Role: Wicket-Keeper Batter (RHB)
Team(s): Lancashire/Thunder
The second, and younger Smale in the team is Seren. Again, Welsh-born, Seren plays for Thunder and has opened the batting with Deandra Dottin while Emma Lamb was away playing for England. Smale’s best batting performance came at the end of the season where, alongside Dottin hit Thunder’s highest-ever opening partnership of 87.
Smale made half-centuries in both her games for the Thunder Academy in 2022 and made 8 appearances for Lancashire women. Across all her cricket, her successes have also been behind the stumps. Taking 9 catches and 7 stumpings, Smale has another string to her bow but is yet to keep for Thunder’s senior side with Captain Ellie Threlkeld being their safe pair of hands. Seren made her debut for the Thunder back in 2021 and has since spent time playing with batters such as Deandra Dottin, Emma Lamb and Ellie Threlkeld.
Alexa Stonehouse — (South East Stars)
Role: Seam Bowler (LA)
Team(s): Kent/South East Stars/Trent Rockets
South East Stars Academy graduate, Alexa Stonehouse, is another player in the side to have featured at regional level. Alexa made her senior debut in 2021 and has since signed a professional contract with South East Stars. She has taken some impressive wickets, dismissing the likes of top Storm players, Dani Gibson, Sophie Luff, Nat Wraith and Vipers Captain, Georgia Adams. Making her way though the Surrey set up, Alexa had opportunities to train with the seniors from an early age.
When I was about U15s, I got selected for the South East Stars Academy, at that point it was RDC so Surrey Stars. I started training more with the seniors so that was quite good exposure and quite nice to be training with those sort of people, get information out of them and it’s something that I’ve really enjoyed
Stonehouses’ talent has been recognised, signing a Hundred contract with Trent Rockets for the 2022 season where she spent time being mentored by England legend and teammate, Katherine Brunt. Alexa also had the opportunity to play against South Africa for England A in a warm-up 3-day game. She didn’t manage to take a wicket but bowled 3 maidens with an economy of 3.00 in South Africa’s first innings.
Having the cricket whites and having your name on the back, that’s something that I’ve dreamed of since I was little. Even having the opportunity to just play in that sort of environment, I couldn’t stop smiling when I heard about it to be honest!
Maddie Ward — (Blaze)
Role: Wicket-Keeper (RHB)
Team(s): Nottinghamshire/Blaze Academy
Wicket-keeper, Maddy Ward has made her way through the Nottinghamshire age groups, making the senior team and then playing for the Lightning Academy. For Nottinghamshire, in the 2022 season, Ward scored 58 runs, taking 3 catches and 7 stumpings. The 2022 season was a successful one for Maddie as she scored almost 1000 runs from the 39 matches she played with a high score of 109*. Just like many wicket-keepers, Maddie ended up being a keeper by chance. She stepped up when other people did not want to keep and with keeping in the genes, it clearly was the right route for her.
They were looking for keepers but none of the girls that were picked said said I’ll do it, everyone was kind of shy, would rather bat, rather bowl. I’d done it a few times in the garden practising with my dad because my grandad was a keeper, he was really good so my dad was like, maybe you’ll be just as good as was
Although for some players, selection may have been taken for granted due to their wealth of experience in senior cricket, it was not the same for Ward. After struggling with batting, the School Games — an ECB organised tournament featuring the best school-age cricketers — was Maddie’s prime opportunity to showcase her skills.
For me, I wanted to prove that I was good enough to be picked. There’s been a lot of questions around my batting, I’m quite a late developer with the bat, I haven’t scored as many runs as quite a lot of people in the u19s team but this year, I’ve really turned it on and tried my hardest to score as many runs as I possibly can
Do you know if the U19sWC is on TV or TMS ?