Sophie introduces you to the 2022 squad

With the Charlotte Edwards Cup set to get underway this weekend, we thought we would give you the opportunity to get to know the 2022 Western Storm squad a little better.

We met up with Sophie Luff and asked the skipper to tell us a little bit about each of her teammates.

Here is what she had to say:

Fran Wilson – “It’s great to have Fran back on board as Vice Captain. She brings a wealth of experience from her international playing career. She’s got a lot of knowledge and I love the way that she goes about things. She’s very calm, she’s got a great temperament and she’s always willing to offer advice to the younger girls in the group. She’s won two KSL titles with Storm, so she knows what it takes to win and hopefully she’ll help us bring some silverware back to the West Country this year.”

Heather Knight – “What can you say about Heather? She’s a world class player and leader. It’s as simple as that. It can be a bit strange captaining someone that you’re in awe of, but she’ll do whatever the team needs of her. She turns up and does her thing and that’s what the girls love about her. To be able to utilise her expertise is brilliant and she’s a great person to have around the group.”

Lauren Filer – “She’s a fast bowler who loves a chat, but she’s got a heart of gold. She’ll keep running in and bowl the ball fast no matter what, and that’s what we want from her. She’s there to take wickets and she’s definitely an exciting prospect.”

Fi Morris – “Fi is destructive at the top of the order and is also a more than useful wicket taking option. She’s also someone who’s always up for a laugh in the dressing room. I’ve played a lot of cricket with her and she’s been drawn back to the West Country, which once again highlights the family feel that we have here. People really want to play for this team and Fi is certainly one of those.”

Claire Nicholas – “She’s great to have around. She will fight tooth and nail to win, and she knows what it takes to be successful. She’s a warrior and she always gets stuck in. She loves a challenge, she’s got a tremendous record and we’re very lucky to have someone like her in the squad. I’m thrilled that Storm were able to support her through her pregnancy last year, and to see her back out on the pitch is brilliant.”

Lauren Parfitt – “She’s been involved with Storm for a long time. Away from the environment she works full time as a teacher and that shows her commitment to Storm because she really wants to keep pursuing her cricket alongside her career. She can bowl left arm spin and is a really strong batter at the top of the order.”

Mollie Robbins – “Mollie is a Gloucester girl and is someone who runs in and bowls a hard length. She’s one of the nicest girls to have around. She’s got a really good heart and will do anything for anyone. She’s a proper team player.”

Sophia Smale – “Although she’s new to the squad this year, she’s already holding her own. She’s got stuck in since day one and is very competitive. We’ve definitely found that out in the nets! I think she’ll do really well this year and I’m looking forward to seeing her embrace the challenge of stepping up to this level.”

Nat Wraith – “She’s got an immense amount of skill and ability. She’s absolutely bossed it at county level over the last few weeks. It’s been great to see her development over the winter and how she’s taken that into this season. Nat has played a lot of cricket and has been recognised at England Academy level, which she thoroughly deserves. I hope this summer is a big one for her because she’s got a lot of talent with both the bat and the gloves. She’s also the team DJ but I’m not going to say too much about that because I don’t always agree with her tune selection!”

Beth Gammon – “Gammo is a ‘keeper/batter and she is the ultimate team player. She will do anything for anyone and it’s great to have her around the team. She’s always got so much energy and enthusiasm. She absolutely loves the game and might be even more of a badger than me!”

Katie George – “I think it’s a big year for her. We all hope that we’ll see her on the park regularly and I know that she’s desperate to do well. She’s a real competitor and I know that sitting on the sidelines has been frustrating for her. She’s a quality performer with the bat, with the ball and in the field and she’s got so much to offer. It’ll be exciting to see how she goes this year.”

Danielle Gibson – “Gibbo is so talented. She does all three skill sets very well and the way she hits the ball is unbelievable at times. She’s a really good person to have around the group and she’s very entertaining. There’s certainly only one Dani Gibson!”

Georgia Hennessy – “What a great character to have around the group. She’s always up for a laugh. She’s someone who will always put her hand up and take responsibility out there. As a captain, having someone like that is priceless. She’s someone that I’ll turn to more often than not. She’s someone who wants to be in the battle and really enjoys that challenge. She’s a very skillful bowler and she can also hit the ball very hard. She plays proper cricket shots too.”

Alex Griffiths – “She’s played a lot of cricket even though she’s still very young. I think she was playing for Wales when she was 12. She’s a livewire in the field and she can do everything. She’s a really good asset for us.”

Nicole Harvey – “I can remember playing against Nic when I was 13. We’ve played an awful lot of cricket together and we’re very good friends. Her journey is a remarkable one and I genuinely don’t know how she does what she does every day. She works her socks off and she knows where she wants to get to. She’s still trying to fulfil her dream of being a professional cricketer and she really does deserve that success. She definitely puts the work in, and hopefully this will be a big year for her at Storm.”

Niamh Holland – “She’s played a ridiculous amount of cricket for someone her age. Niamh is remarkable because she has held her own in every environment that I’ve ever seen her in. I can’t believe that she’s still only 17. She relishes the challenge every time I throw her the ball. Whenever we’re batting together she takes the game on and she’s got a really bright future ahead of her if she keeps working hard.”