Central Sparks Explained

Central Sparks
Colours: Black and purple
Coach:Darren Franklin & Justine Dunce
Captain:Evelyn Jones (2020–)
Established:2020
Ground:Edgbaston Cricket Ground
New Road, Worcester
Sir Paul Getty's Ground
Scorers, Shirley
Title1:RHFT
Title1wins:0
Title2:CEC
Title2wins:0
Website:Central Sparks
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Central Sparks is a women's cricket team that represent the West Midlands region, one of eight regional hubs in English domestic women's cricket. They primarily play their home matches at Edgbaston and New Road.[1] [2] They are captained by Evelyn Jones and coached by Darren Franklin and Justine Dunce.[3] [4] The team is partnered with Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Staffordshire and Shropshire.[5]

History

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.[6] 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. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 season was truncated, and only 50-over cricket was played, in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.[7] Central Sparks finished second in the North Group of the competition, winning three of their six games but failing to progress to the final.[8] 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.[9]

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.[10] 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.[11] 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.[12] [13] In the play-off, however, the side lost to Northern Diamonds by 6 wickets to be eliminated from the competition.[14] 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.[15] [16] However, they lost to Southern Vipers in the final.[17] Sparks batter Amy Jones was the leading run-scorer in the tournament, with 289 runs, and was named the PCA Player of the Tournament.[18] In July 2022, the side launched the West Midlands Regional Cup, to aid the development of players playing for county sides in the region.[19] The side finished fifth in the group of eight in the 2022 Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.[20]

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.[21] [22] Sparks bowler Georgia Davis was the leading wicket-taker in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, with 27 wickets.[23]

Home grounds

VenueGames hosted by season
202122 23 Total
Edgbaston Cricket Ground 2 2 2 4 10
New Road, Worcester 2 3 4 4 13
Edgbaston Foundation Ground 1 1 2
Sir Paul Getty's Ground 1 1
Scorers, Shirley 1 1

Players

Current squad

As per 2024 season.[24]

No.NameNationalityBirth dateBatting styleBowling styleNotes
Batters
212 July 2002 Right-handed
530 November 1999 Right-handed Overseas player
66 June 1991 Left-handed
88 September 2006 Right-handed
118 August 1992 Left-handed Club captain
All-rounders
147 July 1999 Right-handed
2825 October 2004 Left-handed
7716 September 1999 Right-handed
99Katie George  7 April 1999 Right-handed
Wicket-keepers
2712 November 1996 Right-handed
2923 June 2000 Right-handed
40Amy Jones  13 June 1993 Right-handed
Bowlers
33 February 2004 Right-handed
912 July 2002 Right-handed
1717 August 1995 Right-handed
3723 February 1998 Right-handed
4530 October 2003 Right-handed
643 June 1999 Right-handed
95Issy Wong  15 May 2002 Right-handed

Academy

The Central Sparks Academy team plays against other regional academies in friendly and festival matches across various formats. The Academy selects players from across the West Midlands region, and includes some players who are also in the first team squad. Players in the 2024 Academy are listed below:[25]

NameCounty
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

Coaching staff

As of the 2024 season.[26]

Seasons

Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy

SeasonFinal standingLeague standings[27] Notes
PWLTNRBPPtsNRRPos
20206 3 3 0 0 1 13 −0.285 2ndDNQ
20217 5 2 0 0 2 22 +0.822 3rdLost to Northern Diamonds in the semi-final
20227 2 4 0 1 1 11 +0.073 5thDNQ
202314 6 5 1 2 1 31 –0.233 5thDNQ

Charlotte Edwards Cup

SeasonFinal standingLeague standingsNotes
PWLTNRBPPtsNRRPos
20216 3 3 0 0 0 12 –0.669 3rdDNQ
20226 4 2 0 0 1 17 +0.552 2ndLost to Southern Vipers in the final
20237 2 5 0 0 0 8 –0.558 7thDNQ

Statistics

Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy

Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy – summary of results
Year Played Wins Losses Tied NR Win %
20206 3 3 0 0 50.00
20218 5 3 0 0 62.50
20227 2 4 0 1 28.57
202314 6 5 1 2 42.86
Total35161513 45.71
Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy – teamwise result summary[28]
OppositionMat Won Lost Tied NRWin %
7 4 3 0 0 57.14
6 3 2 1 0 50.00
4 2 2 0 0 50.00
4 2 2 0 0 50.00
4 2 1 0 1 50.00
6 0 5 0 1 0.00
4 3 0 0 1 100.00

Charlotte Edwards Cup

Charlotte Edwards Cup - summary of results
Year Played Wins Losses Tied NR Win %
20216 3 3 0 0 50.00
20228 5 3 0 0 62.50
20237 2 5 0 0 28.57
Total21101100 47.62
Charlotte Edwards Cup - teamwise result summary
OppositionMat Won Lost Tied NRWin %
1 0 1 0 0 0.00
1 0 1 0 0 0.00
6 2 4 0 0 33.33
4 2 2 0 0 50.00
3 3 0 0 0 100.00
3 2 1 0 0 66.67
3 1 2 0 0 33.33

Records

Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy

Charlotte Edwards Cup

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy Fixtures . England and Wales Cricket Board . 6 June 2021.
  2. Web site: Women's Regional T20 2021 - Fixtures . England and Wales Cricket Board . 6 June 2021.
  3. Web site: Central Sparks Staff . Edgbaston Cricket . 1 January 2021.
  4. Web site: Sparks Part Company with Tennant and Ostler . Central Sparks . 1 June 2024 . 1 June 2024.
  5. Web site: About Central Sparks . Edgbaston Cricket . 1 January 2021.
  6. Web site: ECB launches new plan to transform women's and girls' cricket . England and Wales Cricket Board . 26 September 2021.
  7. Web site: Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy: The special-edition 50-over competition explained . the Cricketer . 11 August 2020 . 26 September 2021.
  8. Web site: Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2020/Table. ESPNCricinfo . 26 September 2021.
  9. Web site: Forty-one female players sign full-time domestic contracts . England and Wales Cricket Board . 26 September 2021.
  10. Web site: Charlotte Edwards Cup 2021/Table . ESPNCricinfo . 26 September 2021.
  11. Web site: Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2021/Table . ESPNCricinfo . 26 September 2021.
  12. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2021/Highest Scores . ESPNCricinfo. 26 September 2021.
  13. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2021/Best Bowling Figures in an Innings . ESPNCricinfo. 26 September 2021.
  14. Web site: Northern Diamonds ease into final with win over Central Sparks . ESPNCricinfo. 26 September 2021.
  15. Web site: Charlotte Edwards Cup 2022/Table . ESPNcricinfo . 5 June 2022.
  16. Web site: Northampton, June 11 2022, Charlotte Edwards Cup: South East Stars v Central Sparks . ESPNcricinfo . 11 June 2022.
  17. Web site: Final, Northampton, June 11 2022, Charlotte Edwards Cup: Southern Vipers v Central Sparks . 11 June 2022.
  18. Web site: Jones wins Charlotte Edwards Cup award . 11 June 2022 . 13 June 2022.
  19. Web site: West Midlands Regional Cup Launches This Weekend . Central Sparks . 13 July 2022 . 14 July 2022.
  20. Web site: Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2022/Table . ESPNcricinfo . 27 September 2022.
  21. Web site: Charlotte Edwards Cup 2023/Tables . England and Wales Cricket Board . 27 September 2023.
  22. Web site: Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2023 . England and Wales Cricket Board . 27 September 2023.
  23. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2023/Most Wickets . ESPNCricinfo. 27 September 2023.
  24. Web site: Central Sparks 2023 Squad Announcement . Central Sparks . 18 April 2023 . 18 April 2023.
  25. Web site: Central Sparks Academy 2024 . Central Sparks . 19 October 2023 . 19 October 2023.
  26. Web site: Central Sparks Staff . Central Sparks . 3 May 2023.
  27. Web site: Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy Tables . ESPN Cricinfo . 1 January 2021.
  28. Web site: Central Sparks Match Results . ESPN Cricinfo . 1 January 2021.
  29. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2020 - Central Sparks/Highest totals . ESPN Cricinfo . 4 September 2021.
  30. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2021 - Central Sparks/Highest totals . ESPN Cricinfo . 25 September 2021.
  31. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2022 - Central Sparks/Highest totals . ESPN Cricinfo . 27 September 2022.
  32. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2023 - Central Sparks/Highest totals . ESPN Cricinfo . 27 September 2023.
  33. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2020 - Central Sparks/High scores . ESPN Cricinfo . 4 September 2021.
  34. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2021 - Central Sparks/High scores . ESPN Cricinfo . 25 September 2021.
  35. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2022 - Central Sparks/High scores . ESPN Cricinfo . 27 September 2022.
  36. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2023 - Central Sparks/High scores . ESPN Cricinfo . 27 September 2023.
  37. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2020 - Central Sparks/Best bowling figures in an innings . ESPN Cricinfo . 4 September 2021.
  38. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2021 - Central Sparks/Best bowling figures in an innings . ESPN Cricinfo . 25 September 2021.
  39. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2022 - Central Sparks/Best bowling figures in an innings . ESPN Cricinfo . 27 September 2022.
  40. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2023 - Central Sparks/Best bowling figures in an innings . ESPN Cricinfo . 27 September 2023.
  41. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2020 - Central Sparks/Most runs . ESPN Cricinfo . 4 September 2021.
  42. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2021 - Central Sparks/Most runs . ESPN Cricinfo . 25 September 2021.
  43. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2022 - Central Sparks/Most runs . ESPN Cricinfo . 27 September 2022.
  44. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2023 - Central Sparks/Most runs . ESPN Cricinfo . 27 September 2023.
  45. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2020 - Central Sparks/Most wickets . ESPN Cricinfo . 4 September 2021.
  46. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2021 - Central Sparks/Most wickets . ESPN Cricinfo . 25 September 2021.
  47. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2022 - Central Sparks/Most wickets . ESPN Cricinfo . 27 September 2022.
  48. Web site: Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2023 - Central Sparks/Most wickets . ESPN Cricinfo . 27 September 2023.
  49. Web site: Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2021 - Central Sparks/Highest Totals . ESPN Cricinfo . 5 September 2021.
  50. Web site: Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2022 - Central Sparks/Highest Totals . ESPN Cricinfo . 11 June 2022.
  51. Web site: Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2023 - Central Sparks/Highest Totals . ESPN Cricinfo . 27 September 2023.
  52. Web site: Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2021 - Central Sparks/High Scores . ESPN Cricinfo . 5 September 2021.
  53. Web site: Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2022 - Central Sparks/High Scores . ESPN Cricinfo . 11 June 2022.
  54. Web site: Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2023 - Central Sparks/High Scores . ESPN Cricinfo . 27 September 2023.
  55. Web site: Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2021 - Central Sparks/Best Bowling Figures in an Innings . ESPN Cricinfo . 5 September 2021.
  56. Web site: Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2022 - Central Sparks/Best Bowling Figures in an Innings . ESPN Cricinfo . 11 June 2022.
  57. Web site: Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2023 - Central Sparks/Best Bowling Figures in an Innings . ESPN Cricinfo . 27 September 2023.
  58. Web site: Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2021 - Central Sparks/Most runs . ESPN Cricinfo . 5 September 2021.
  59. Web site: Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2022 - Central Sparks/Most runs . ESPN Cricinfo . 11 June 2022.
  60. Web site: Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2023 - Central Sparks/Most runs . ESPN Cricinfo . 27 September 2023.
  61. Web site: Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2021 - Central Sparks/Most wickets . ESPN Cricinfo . 5 September 2021.
  62. Web site: Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2022 - Central Sparks/Most wickets . ESPN Cricinfo . 11 June 2022.
  63. Web site: Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2023 - Central Sparks/Most wickets . ESPN Cricinfo . 27 September 2023.