Western Storm reveal full 2019 squad
Western Storm can today exclusively reveal the full squad for the 2019 KIA Super League.
The Storm will be looking to keep up the astonishing record of qualifying for every KSL Finals Day since the competition began and England Captain, Heather Knight will once again be leading the side.
Heather will be joined by England teammates Anya Shrubsole, Fran Wilson and Freya Davies.
Last year’s KSL leading run scorer Smriti Mandhana will be back for 2019 alongside her compatriot Deepti Sharma whilst fan favourite Rachel Priest will be back for her fourth season.
England Academy players Danielle Gibson and Ellie Mitchell have also been named in the squad.
Both Sophie Luff and Claire Nicholas return after impressing for Western Storm in previous years whilst Naomi Dattani and Amara Carr also return for another season.
The squad is completed by Sonia Odedra and Alex Griffiths.
Sonia has experience of the KSL having represented Loughborough Lightning in 2016 and 2017. The 31-year-old medium-fast right-hander plays her county cricket for Nottinghamshire and has featured in a Test match for England in 2014.
Alex is a right-handed all rounder who has been involved with Western Storm’s pathway over the last few years and was part of the team’s training squad in 2018. She plays her county cricket for Wales.
Following the announcement of the full squad, Western Storm Head Coach, Trevor Griffin said: “We are really excited by this group of players. It’s a bit of a cliché to say that we have a really good blend of youth and experience, but that is something that we genuinely have!
“To be able to welcome our England players back is great and obviously the return of Smriti and Rachel is brilliant for us. Deepti will certainly bring something different whilst I’m looking forward to seeing how Dani and Ellie will develop during the competition.
“Sophie, Claire, Naomi and Amara were excellent for us last year, so we’re really happy to see them coming back.
“Sonia has a wealth of experience behind her which will no doubt be of benefit to our younger players whilst Alex will certainly be pushing for a starting place by the time the season begins.
“The squad has a great balance and we can’t wait to start working with the players again. To have seven players in the group who have been with us since the KSL started is really important because continuity of selection is vital in any winning team.
“It also shows how successful our pathway is. Danielle, Ellie and Alex have all worked their way through the South West Regional Development Centre, so a huge amount of credit has to go to everyone involved with that programme.”
The squad in full is:
Heather Knight
Anya Shrubsole
Fran Wilson
Freya Davies
Smriti Mandhana
Rachel Priest
Deepti Sharma
Danielle Gibson
Ellie Mitchell
Claire Nicholas
Sophie Luff
Naomi Dattani
Amara Carr
Sonia Odedra
Alex Griffiths
