The Blaze - the East Midlands’ new regional women’s side, based at Trent Bridge - have announced seven contracted cricketers for the 2023 season, retaining five players previously on deals with Lightning and adding Georgie Boyce and Sophie Munro to the list of contracted playing staff.
Nottinghamshire-born Boyce returns to the East Midlands having represented the region before a five-year spell in the North West, whilst all-rounder Munro has secured her first deal.
The pair are joined by Kathryn Bryce, Marie Kelly, Kirstie Gordon, Lucy Higham and Sarah Bryce, all of whom had contracts with Lightning last year.
The players on contracts are supplemented by those currently on winter retainers, who are also currently taking part in pre-season training at Trent Bridge.
Those players are: Teresa Graves, Beth Harmer, Ella Claridge, Grace Ballinger, Josie Groves and Michaela Kirk - all members of Lightning’s playing squad in 2022 - as well as Cassidy McCarthy, who makes the move from Southern Vipers’ Academy.
In February, three more contracts will be handed out to bring the total number to ten.
“Having settled into Trent Bridge, we are really looking forward to the winter ahead and beginning our life as The Blaze,” said Head Coach Chris Guest.
“I’m pleased that we’ve been able to retain a healthy number of players from our time as Lightning, which gives us some continuity as we take this step forward into a new era.
“The squad is extremely talented, and the signing of Georgie, who has proven experience at the regional level, will add depth and quality. To bring her back to her home county makes that acquisition particularly special for both parties.
“Likewise, Sophie signing her first contract gives us added strength, and it provides a great platform for her to go on and become the best cricketer she can be by focusing all her attention on the sport.
“We will ensure the players on retainers are in the best position possible when the three further contracts are made available in February, encouraging them to make use of the support available to them.”
Winter Retainers
Grace Ballinger
Role: Bowler
Bats: Left Hand
Bowls: Left Arm Medium
Left armer Ballinger graduated through the Warwickshire pathway before switching to Leicestershire ahead of 2021.
She made her regional debut for Lightning a year prior, playing three matches in Rachael Hayhoe Flint trophy, but came of age in 2021, taking seven wickets across both competitions.
In 2022, she took a further nine wickets, averaging 17.77 in the 50-over format, whilst securing her maiden five wicket haul against North West Thunder. She also made two appearances in The Hundred for Lord’s-based outfit London Spirit.
“Grace has the point of difference in her left-arm action and backs this up with the ability to swing the ball and execute her variations. She is looking to add a yard of pace in the off season and will be a real handful next season following a winter of hard work. I’m excited to see her steaming in, in 2023.”
Chris Guest
Ella Claridge
Role: Wicketkeeper-Batter
Bats: Right Hand
Claridge’s county debut for Buckinghamshire in 2017 returned a 52-ball 57, an early marker of her ability despite being aged just 15 at the time.
She went on to be her home county’s top run scorer in the Women’s Twenty20 Cup in 2019, 2021 and 2022, and made her T20 best of 96 in the most recent campaign.
In 2021, Claridge was named in Lightning’s Academy, and was included in Salliann Beams’ Trent Rockets squad for the inaugural edition of The Hundred. She made her senior regional debut in the same season, before appearing six times across formats in 2022, contributing a top score of 41.
“Ella is another player who has come through our Academy and shown the ability to impact senior games straight away. She plays the game in a positive manner and is always looking to put the bowler under pressure.”
Chris Guest
Teresa Graves
Role: All-rounder
Bats: Right Hand
Bowls: Right-arm medium
Yorkshire-born all-rounder Teresa is familiar with The Blaze’s new Nottinghamshire-based home, having represented the Green and Golds alongside her twin sister, Yvonne, since 2018.
In 2022, the 24-year-old was the second-top run scorer, and joint leading wicket-taker for her adopted county in the 2022 Women’s Twenty20 Cup.
Since first appearing for Lightning in 2020, Graves has collected 27 caps across T20 and 50-over cricket, with a high score of 65 against Central Sparks in 2020, and best figures of 4-39 against Sunrisers in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy in 2021.
She has also played twice for Trent Rockets, having been included in the Trent Bridge-based side’s squad for the first two years of the competition.
“Teresa is such a high potential cricketer with both bat and ball. She has the ability to build pressure through consistency with the ball and possesses an incredible amount of power with the bat. I think a change of environment is going to do wonders and I believe she will have a big impact in 2023 with match-winning contributions.”
Chris Guest
Josie Groves
Role: Bowler
Bats: Right Hand
Bowls: Leg Spin
A Northamptonshire native, Groves burst onto the cricketing scene with her home county in 2019 taking five wickets at an average of 15.20 in the Women’s Twenty20 Cup. She went on to claim a further five scalps in 2021, and seven more a year later.
The teenager was included in the Lightning’s Academy for the 2021 season, before being added to the senior squad in August. She made her debut against South East Stars in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.
In 2022, the leg-spinner played eight matches across the T20 and 50-over competitions, taking eight wickets and scoring her maiden List A half century against Southern Vipers, earning herself selection in England’s squad for the 2023 ICC Under 19’s Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa.
“Josie has come through the academy and graduated into the senior squad full time for 2023. She is an exciting prospect in all three disciplines and she has been rewarded with her hard work with her selection for the England U19 World Cup.”
Chris Guest
Beth Harmer
Role: All-Rounder
Bats: Right Hand
Bowls: Off Spin
After impressing on the county circuit for Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Essex, Harmer earned a spot in Lightning’s squad in 2020. She made her debut in 2021, in the opening fixture of the Charlotte Edwards Cup against South East Stars, where she hit 34 from 25 balls.
She went on to play eight further games in all formats that season, before joining Derbyshire for her county cricket in 2022. For the East Midlands county, she hit her T20 best of 70 in a win over Yorkshire off just 35 balls.
In the same year, the 22-year-old played seven games across regional tournaments, and was named in the Northern Supercharger’s squad for the second edition of The Hundred.
“Beth has come through the academy and shown potential to be destructive at the top of the order in all forms of the game at senior level. She plays in a fearless way and is always looking to put pressure on the bowlers. I’m really excited to see her develop over the next 12 months and aim to put in match winning contributions.”
Chris Guest
Michaela Kirk
Role: All Rounder/Wicketkeeper
Bats: Right Hand
Bowls: Off Spin
South Africa born Kirk has taken a more unconventional route than most to represent The Blaze, having made her senior T20 debut as a 13-year-old for Northerns’ CSA Provincial Women’s T20 side, before racking up over 1,200 runs and 35 wickets for the region based north of Johannesburg.
She later enjoyed two years at Titans cricket academy in Gauteng, before making the switch to England to attend Loughborough University, joining Nottinghamshire in the process.
She made seven appearances for Lightning, and two for Trent Rockets in The Hundred before sustaining an ACL injury against London Spirit at Lord’s in 2021.
She returned to action in 2022, playing twice in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.
“Kirky is back in full training after recovering from an ACL injury and looking to make up for lost time. She has the potential to set the game alight with the bat and has also been known to provide a moment of magic in the field. She’s another player who has the ability to make a big impact next summer.”
Chris Guest
Cassidy McCarthy
Role: Bowler
Bats: Right Hand
Bowls: Right Arm Medium
Sussex-born McCarthy makes the moves to the East Midlands having been on the books of her home county and Southern Vipers.
In 2019, the then-17 year-old was selected to take part in the ECB School Games alongside Beth Harmer and Sophie Munro and a year later she was named in a 15-strong senior squad for Vipers’ Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy campaign by Charlotte Edwards.
In the last three full campaigns for her county, she has taken 22 wickets, including six wickets in the Women’s County T20 for Sussex at an average of 18.17.
She has since moved to Loughborough University, joining Lightning’s Academy at the tail end of 2022.
“Cass has joined us from Vipers this winter and is showing encouraging signs of development in early training sessions. She has the ability to move the ball away from the bat at pace and is a bowler I have admired from coaching against her in the past.”
Chris Guest
Contracted Players
Georgie Boyce
Role: Batter
Bats: Right Hand
Top-order batter Boyce, who was born in Nottinghamshire, returns to Trent Bridge having represented the county of her birth, and Lightning in the Kia Super League, until 2017.
In 2022, the right-hander amassed 309 runs at 61.80 in T20 cricket for Lancashire, before contributing 172 runs in the Charlotte Edwards Cup and an additional 147 in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.
"I’m delighted to welcome Boycey back to the East Midlands and can’t wait to see her represent The Blaze in 2023. She brings a wealth of experience back with her to add to our batting line up alongside a leadership quality in the dressing room. She is keen to keep improving and force her way into contention for further honours, and to have a player with that drive will only help us at The Blaze."Chris Guest
Kathryn Bryce
Role: All-Rounder
Bats: Right Hand
Bowls: Right Arm Medium
The elder of the Bryce sisters, Kathryn was named the ICC's associate women's player of the decade for 2011-20 on the back of her performances in a Scotland shirt, despite making her IT20 debut as recently as 2018.
In Lightning colours, Bryce has scored over 400 runs and taken 46 wickets since 2019, including a best of 5-29 against Northern Diamonds.
She has made 31 international appearances in all, averaging 40 with the bat and 16.11 with the ball. Her short-form exploits saw her picked up by Trent Rockets in the first edition of The Hundred, and subsequently retained for the second.
“Kathryn has been captain of Lightning for the last three seasons and led from the front with both bat and ball. Any player capable of scoring centuries and taking five wicket hauls is an invaluable member of the team, while her work ethic is simply outstanding. She is also Scotland captain and always looking to make an impact tactically on the field.”
Chris Guest
Sarah Bryce
Role: Wicketkeeper-Batter
Bats: Right Hand
One of two current Scotland internationals in The Blaze’s squad, Bryce’s ties to the East Midlands began in 2019 upon representing Nottinghamshire. She would go on to come of age in the inaugural season of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy in 2020, finishing the competition as its second-highest run-scorer and reaching 50 five times in six innings.
For Lightning, the 22-year-old averaged 41 in List A cricket with over 700 runs, whilst she has 10 catches and seven stumpings across formats.
On the international stage, Bryce has scored just shy of 900 runs in 39 innings, claiming 55 dismissals in the process, while she has also represented Oval Invincibles and Welsh Fire in The Hundred, winning the competition with the former in 2021.
“This will be Sarah's first winter purely focusing on cricket after completing her Masters at Loughborough. She is an outstanding cricketer with both bat and gloves, and is a fantastic professional who will be keen to add more consistency after some outstanding performances in previous seasons.”
Chris Guest
Kirstie Gordon
Role: Bowler
Bats: Right Hand
Bowls: Slow Left Arm Orthordox
Scotland-born Gordon has played for Lightning since 2018, having made her senior international debut aged 14.
The spinner forewent representing the country of her birth to play domestic cricket in England without overseas status, including four summers with Nottinghamshire which yielded 79 wickets. Since qualifying to play for the Three Lions, she has made five IT20 appearances and played one Test Match, taking 11 wickets.
In all, the 24-year-old has taken 61 wickets for the East Midlands region.
“Kirstie is a real competitor and a stalwart of our previous Lightning squads. She is a proven performer in regional cricket and has the ability to win games with the ball, but she also possesses a brilliant cricket brain and is always thinking of tactics and methods to impact games. Having already secured international experience, she'll be hoping to push her game forwards to get in contention for further honours.”
Chris Guest
Lucy Higham
Role: Bowling All-Rounder
Bats: Right Hand
Bowls: Off-Spin
East Midlands born and bred, Higham graduated through the Leicestershire pathway before making the move to Nottinghamshire, where she is now captain. She began her tenure with Lightning whilst undertaking her studies at Loughborough University, and has since collected 32 wickets across formats.
In 2022, the 25-year-old was ever-present on the domestic stage, taking 12 wickets across 20 and 50-over cricket, having scored 101 runs at an average of 25.25 and taken five wickets for her side in the 2021 Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.
Higham was selected for Trent Rockets’ squad in the inaugural edition of the tournament, before moving to Northern Superchargers ahead of 2022.
“Lucy is East Midlands through-and-through having played cricket for Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Lightning, Trent Rockets and now The Blaze. She's one of the best fielders in the country, and has the ability to bowl at all stages in the game and contribute valuable runs.”
Chris Guest
Marie Kelly
Role: Batting All-Rounder
Bats: Right Hand
Bowls: Off-Spin / Slow Left Arm Orthodox
Kelly will resume East Midlands representation having appeared for England A in the summer, hitting a 59-ball 89 as Tammy Beaumont’s side cruised to an eight-wicket victory.
The all-rounder previously played for Central Sparks in the women’s domestic set-up, before making the switch to Lightning ahead of the 2022 season, scoring 197 runs and taking six wickets across both formats.
In the same year, Kelly switched allegiance from Birmingham Phoenix to Trent Rockets in The Hundred, appearing four times as the Trent Bridge-based side secured third place in the second edition of the competition.
“Marie has the ability to be one of the most destructive batters in the country and I’m over the moon that she has chosen to continue her development with The Blaze. A player who is always looking to find improvements in her game, she is a hard working and driven cricketer.”
Chris Guest
Sophie Munro
Role: Bowling All-Rounder
Bats: Right Hand
Bowls: Right Arm Medium
Munro plays her county cricket for Nottinghamshire and represented Trent Rockets in the 2022 edition of The Hundred. Having previously been on a retainer with Lightning, this will be her first season as a fully-contracted player.
The former England Academy all-rounder played 11 matches for her region in 2022 across the Charlotte Edwards Cup and Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, taking six wickets, and has previously plied her trade for London Spirit in The Hundred.
The 21-year-old hit her maiden List A half-century last year, scoring fifty against Thunder in the 50-over competition.
"I first saw Sophie bowling in the Woodhead Hall as a 15-year-old and saw a special talent in her. She is a player with massive potential with both bat and ball, and I’m hoping that the security of a contract allows her to fulfil some of that potential in 2023 and beyond."
Chris Guest
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