Western Storm announce South West Regional Development Programme Squad
Reigning KIA Super League Champions Western Storm are pleased to be able to announce their South West Regional Development Programme Squad for 2018.
The programme is designed to identify and support players who have the potential to progress onto the England Academy and play in the Kia Super League in the years to come.
Fifteen players have been identified from across the South West region to be part of the programme, which consists of several pre-Christmas training days and six post-Christmas training days.
In addition to this the players will feature in pre-season fixtures against women’s County teams from around the South West.
The pre-Christmas programme will see the players, who have been selected from Somerset, Gloucestershire, Devon, Wales and Cornwall, being put through their paces at the Cooper Associates County Ground, the Brightside Ground and at the University of Exeter.
A number of Western Storm coaches will be working directly with the players including Head Coach Trevor Griffin and Pace Bowling Coach Ben Phillips. Two other members of the Storm’s backroom staff will also be on hand to work with the players. These are Jon Pitts (Mental Skills) and Zak Bess (Strength & Conditioning).
In addition to this, former Western Storm Head Coach and World Cup winner Caroline Foster and current Somerset Women & Girls’ Coach Paul Lawrence will be giving the players the benefit of their extensive knowledge of the women’s game.
Following the announcement of the squad Western Storm Head Coach Trevor Griffin said: “It’s great to be working with these young players who have shown they’ve got the potential to go on and play at the next level. We’ve got a great mix of those returning for a second year and some who have made the squad for the first time. As well as developing their cricket skills, players will be introduced to a number of other aspects such as mental skills, S&C and nutrition. Everything is geared to help them develop to be the best they can be.”
General Manager Lisa Pagett said: “The South West Regional Development Programme is a really important part of the work we do. We are fortunate to have a brilliant team working on the programme, fusing together coaches working with the full Western Storm squad and coaches with extensive knowledge and experience of girls’ county cricket across the South West.
“Danielle Gibson is a great example of a player that has transitioned from the Development Programme to earn a Kia Super League contract with the full Western Storm Squad for the 2017 season and we hope that others follow in her footsteps.”
The full squad is:
- Olivia Churcher (Devon)
- Amber Cummins (Cornwall)
- Emily Dibble (Somerset)
- Emily Edgcombe (Devon)
- Lauren Filer (Somerset)
- Sophie Florides (Devon)
- Alex Griffith (Wales)
- Rebecca Halliday (Devon)
- Steph Hutchins (Devon)
- Daisy Meadowcroft (Devon)
- Ellie Mitchell (Cornwall)
- Georgia Parfitt (Wales)
- Charlotte Scarborough (Wales)
- Sophie Thomas (Wales)
- Nat Wraith (Gloucestershire)
