Wikipedia

Central Sparks

Central Sparks were a women's cricket team that represented the West Midlands region, one of eight regional hubs in English domestic women's cricket. They primarily played their home matches at Edgbaston and New Road.[1][2] They were captained by Evelyn Jones and coached by Darren Franklin and Justine Dunce.[3][4] The team was partnered with Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Staffordshire and Shropshire.[5]

Central Sparks
Personnel
CaptainEvelyn Jones
CoachDarren Franklin & Justine Dunce
Team information
Colours   Black and purple
Established2020
Home groundEdgbaston Cricket Ground
New Road, Worcester
Chester Road North Ground
Scorers, Shirley
History
RHFT wins0
CEC wins0
Official websiteCentral Sparks

Playing kit

At the end of the 2024 season, following reforms to the structure of women's domestic cricket, the team was effectively replaced by a professionalised Warwickshire team.[6]

History

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In 2020, women's cricket in England was restructured, creating eight new 'regional hub' teams, with the intention of playing both 50-over and 20-over cricket.[7] Central Sparks were one of the sides created under this structure, representing the West Midlands and partnered with Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Staffordshire and Shropshire.[5] The side was to be captained by Evelyn Jones and coached by Lloyd Tennant.[8] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 season was truncated, and only 50-over cricket was played, in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.[9] Central Sparks finished second in the North Group of the competition, winning three of their six games but failing to progress to the final.[10] At the end of the season, five Sparks players were given full-time domestic contracts, the first of their kind in England: Evelyn Jones, Marie Kelly, Issy Wong, Emily Arlott and Gwenan Davies.[11]

The following season, 2021, Sparks competed in both the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and the newly-formed Twenty20 competition, the Charlotte Edwards Cup. In the Charlotte Edwards Cup the side finished third in their group, winning three of their six matches.[12] In the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, Central Sparks qualified for the knockout stages of the tournament, finishing third in the group of eight with five wins from their seven matches.[13] During the group stages, Amy Jones hit the highest score of the tournament, scoring 163* against Western Storm, whilst Emily Arlott recorded the best individual bowling figures of the tournament against Southern Vipers, taking 5/29 including a hat-trick.[14][15] In the play-off, however, the side lost to Northern Diamonds by 6 wickets to be eliminated from the competition.[16] In 2022, they reached the final of the Charlotte Edwards Cup after finishing second in Group A and beating South East Stars in the semi-final.[17][18] However, they lost to Southern Vipers in the final.[19] Sparks batter Amy Jones was the leading run-scorer in the tournament, with 289 runs, and was named the PCA Player of the Tournament.[20] In July 2022, the side launched the West Midlands Regional Cup, to aid the development of players playing for county sides in the region.[21] The side finished fifth in the group of eight in the 2022 Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.[22]

In 2023, Central Sparks finished seventh out of eight in the Charlotte Edwards Cup and fifth out of eight in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.[23][24] Sparks bowler Georgia Davis was the leading wicket-taker in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, with 27 wickets.[25] In 2024, the side reached the semi-finals of the Charlotte Edwards Cup and finished seventh in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.[26][27]

2024 was the side's final season, with reforms to the structure of domestic cricket in England meaning that the side was effectively replaced by a professionalised Warwickshire team.[6]

Home grounds

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Venue Games hosted by season
20 21 22 23 24 Total
Edgbaston Cricket Ground 2 2 2 4 5 15
New Road, Worcester 2 3 4 4 5 18
Edgbaston Foundation Ground – 1 1 – – 2
Sir Paul Getty's Ground – – – 1 – 1
Scorers, Shirley – – – 1 1 2
Chester Road North Ground – – – – 1 1

Players

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Current squad

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Final squad, 2024 season.[28]

  • No. denotes the player's squad number, as worn on the back of their shirt.
  • ‡ denotes players with international caps.
No. Name Nationality Birth date Batting style Bowling style Notes
Batters
2 Chloe Brewer   England (2002-07-12) 12 July 2002 (age 22) Right-handed Right-arm medium
6 Ami Campbell   England (1991-06-06) 6 June 1991 (age 33) Left-handed Right-arm medium
8 Davina Perrin   England (2006-09-08) 8 September 2006 (age 18) Right-handed Right-arm medium
11 Evelyn Jones   England (1992-08-08) 8 August 1992 (age 32) Left-handed Left-arm medium Club captain
16 Meg Austin   England (2004-09-07) 7 September 2004 (age 20) Right-handed Right-arm leg break
All-rounders
14 Bethan Ellis   England (1999-07-07) 7 July 1999 (age 25) Right-handed Right-arm medium
28 Charis Pavely ‡   England (2004-10-25) 25 October 2004 (age 20) Left-handed Slow left-arm orthodox
77 Ria Fackrell   England (1999-09-16) 16 September 1999 (age 25) Right-handed Right-arm off break
99 Katie George ‡   England (1999-04-07) 7 April 1999 (age 25) Right-handed Left-arm medium
Wicket-keepers
27 Abigail Freeborn   England (1996-11-12) 12 November 1996 (age 28) Right-handed —
29 Poppy Davies   England (2000-06-23) 23 June 2000 (age 24) Right-handed —
40 Amy Jones ‡   England (1993-06-13) 13 June 1993 (age 31) Right-handed —
– Sophie Beech   England Unknown Right-handed —
Bowlers
3 Hannah Baker ‡   England (2004-02-03) 3 February 2004 (age 20) Right-handed Right-arm leg break
9 Grace Potts   England (2002-07-12) 12 July 2002 (age 22) Right-handed Right-arm medium
17 Anisha Patel   England (1995-08-17) 17 August 1995 (age 29) Right-handed Right-arm leg break
19 Hannah Hardwick   England (2004-05-01) 1 May 2004 (age 20) Right-handed Right-arm medium
37 Emily Arlott   England (1998-02-23) 23 February 1998 (age 26) Right-handed Right-arm medium
45 Ellie Anderson   England (2003-10-30) 30 October 2003 (age 21) Right-handed Right-arm medium
64 Georgia Davis ‡   England (1999-06-03) 3 June 1999 (age 25) Right-handed Right-arm off break
95 Issy Wong ‡   England (2002-05-15) 15 May 2002 (age 22) Right-handed Right-arm medium

Academy

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The Central Sparks Academy team played against other regional academies in friendly and festival matches across various formats. The Academy selected players from across the West Midlands region, and included some players who were also in the first team squad. Players in the 2024 Academy are listed below:[29]

Name County
Meg Austin Staffordshire
Sophie Beech Staffordshire
Phoebe Brett Worcestershire
Lexie Cantrill Staffordshire
Emily Churms Warwickshire/Shropshire
Isabel Ellsmore Staffordshire
Hannah Hardwick Worcestershire
Amy Griffiths Shropshire
Libby Thomas Wales
Ebony Tweats Staffordshire

Overseas players

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Coaching staff

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  • Head Coaches: Darren Franklin & Justine Dunce
  • Regional Director: Laura Macleod
  • Team Operations Manager: Beth Gaskell
  • Physiotherapist: Julia Sawkings & Becky Webber
  • Strength & Conditioning Lead: Nick Karamouzis
  • Strength & Conditioning Coach: Andy Harland
  • Talent Manager: Lauren Rowles
  • Performance Analyst: George Isaacs

As of the 2024 season.[8]

Seasons

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Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy

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Season Final standing League standings[30] Notes
P W L T NR BP Pts NRR Pos
2020 Group stage 6 3 3 0 0 1 13 −0.285 2nd DNQ
2021 Losing semi-finalists: 3rd 7 5 2 0 0 2 22 +0.822 3rd Lost to Northern Diamonds in the semi-final
2022 Group stage 7 2 4 0 1 1 11 +0.073 5th DNQ
2023 Group stage 14 6 5 1 2 1 31 –0.233 5th DNQ
2024 Group stage 14 5 8 0 1 3 25 –0.299 7th DNQ

Charlotte Edwards Cup

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Season Final standing League standings Notes
P W L T NR BP Pts NRR Pos
2021 Group stages 6 3 3 0 0 0 12 –0.669 3rd DNQ
2022 Runners-up 6 4 2 0 0 1 17 +0.552 2nd Lost to Southern Vipers in the final
2023 Group stages 7 2 5 0 0 0 8 –0.558 7th DNQ
2024 Semi-finals 10 6 4 0 0 2 26 +0.402 4th Lost to The Blaze in the semi-finals

Statistics

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Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy

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Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy – summary of results[30]
Year Played Wins Losses Tied NR Win %
2020 6 3 3 0 0 50.00
2021 8 5 3 0 0 62.50
2022 7 2 4 0 1 28.57
2023 14 6 5 1 2 42.86
2024 14 5 8 0 1 35.71
Total 49 21 23 1 4 42.86
  • Abandoned matches are counted as NR (no result)
  • Win or loss by super over or boundary count are counted as tied.
Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy – teamwise result summary[31]
Opposition Mat Won Lost Tied NR Win %
Northern Diamonds 9 4 5 0 0 44.44
North West Thunder 8 4 3 1 0 50.00
South East Stars 6 2 4 0 0 33.33
Southern Vipers 6 3 3 0 0 50.00
Sunrisers 6 2 2 0 2 33.33
The Blaze 8 2 5 0 1 25.00
Western Storm 6 4 1 0 1 66.67

Charlotte Edwards Cup

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Charlotte Edwards Cup - summary of results
Year Played Wins Losses Tied NR Win %
2021 6 3 3 0 0 50.00
2022 8 5 3 0 0 62.50
2023 7 2 5 0 0 28.57
2024 11 6 5 0 0 54.55
Total 32 16 16 0 0 50.00
  • Abandoned matches are counted as NR (no result)
  • Win or loss by super over or boundary count are counted as tied.
Charlotte Edwards Cup - teamwise result summary
Opposition Mat Won Lost Tied NR Win %
Northern Diamonds 3 1 2 0 0 33.33
North West Thunder 3 1 2 0 0 33.33
South East Stars 7 3 4 0 0 42.86
Southern Vipers 5 3 2 0 0 60.00
Sunrisers 4 4 0 0 0 100.00
The Blaze 6 2 4 0 0 33.33
Western Storm 4 2 2 0 0 50.00

Records

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Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy

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Charlotte Edwards Cup

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy Fixtures". England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  2. ^ "Women's Regional T20 2021 - Fixtures". England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  3. ^ "Central Sparks Staff". Edgbaston Cricket. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  4. ^ "Sparks Part Company with Tennant and Ostler". Central Sparks. 1 June 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  5. ^ a b "About Central Sparks". Edgbaston Cricket. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Eight Tier 1 Counties confirmed for 2025 and plans unveiled for four more women's professional domestic teams by 2029". England and Wales Cricket Board. 17 April 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  7. ^ "ECB launches new plan to transform women's and girls' cricket". England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  8. ^ a b "Central Sparks Staff". Central Sparks. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  9. ^ "Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy: The special-edition 50-over competition explained". the Cricketer. 11 August 2020. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  10. ^ "Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2020/Table". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  11. ^ "Forty-one female players sign full-time domestic contracts". England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  12. ^ "Charlotte Edwards Cup 2021/Table". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  13. ^ "Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2021/Table". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
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  15. ^ "Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2021/Best Bowling Figures in an Innings". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  16. ^ "Northern Diamonds ease into final with win over Central Sparks". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  17. ^ "Charlotte Edwards Cup 2022/Table". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  18. ^ "Northampton, June 11 2022, Charlotte Edwards Cup: South East Stars v Central Sparks". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  19. ^ "Final, Northampton, June 11 2022, Charlotte Edwards Cup: Southern Vipers v Central Sparks". Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  20. ^ "Jones wins Charlotte Edwards Cup award". 11 June 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  21. ^ "West Midlands Regional Cup Launches This Weekend". Central Sparks. 13 July 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
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  28. ^ "Central Sparks 2023 Squad Announcement". Central Sparks. 18 April 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  29. ^ "Central Sparks Academy 2024". Central Sparks. 19 October 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  30. ^ a b "Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy Tables". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  31. ^ "Central Sparks Match Results". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  32. ^ a b "Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2020 - Central Sparks/Highest totals". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  33. ^ a b "Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2021 - Central Sparks/Highest totals". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
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  53. ^ "Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2021 - Central Sparks/Most wickets". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  54. ^ "Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2022 - Central Sparks/Most wickets". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  55. ^ "Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2023 - Central Sparks/Most wickets". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  56. ^ "Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2024 - Central Sparks/Most wickets". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  57. ^ a b "Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2021 - Central Sparks/Highest Totals". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  58. ^ a b "Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2022 - Central Sparks/Highest Totals". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
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