Congratulations to Eva Gray, Grace Scrivens, and Mady Villiers, who have been named in the England A squad to take on Australia A in a series of fifty over games, which starts this morning.
Grace Scrivens has been asked to lead the side in the three game series, the next step in an amazing journey for the youngster, having captained the England U19 World Cup side over the winter.
Gray and Scrivens featured in England A’s red ball fixture against the Australian first team two weeks ago, with Scrivens hitting 58 and Gray claiming the wickets of Phoebe Litchfield and Australian captain Alyssa Healy, whilst Mady Villiers returns to the England frame for the first time this summer.
England A face their Australian counterparts in three fifty over games in five days, playing at Loughborough’s Haslegrave Ground on Wednesday and Friday, before heading to Guildford CC on Sunday.
The call up means that all three may miss Sunday’s Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy return, where we face Southern Vipers at Chelmsford, with the match day squad for the final game of the A-series to be decided at the end of the week. They will be back for the away trip to South East Stars the following week.
On being awarded the captaincy, Grace Scrivens said: “I really enjoyed being involved in the red ball series against Australia a couple of weeks ago. It was a great opportunity, and I enjoyed the battle we had against the Aussies.
I'm really excited and honoured to have been asked to captain this team, we have a brilliant group of players, and I can't wait to get going.”
Sunrisers Regional Director of Women’s Cricket, Danni Warren, said: “We’re very proud of Eva, Grace and Mady on their call ups to the England A side. It was pleasing to watch Eva and Grace perform well against the Australians with the red ball, so to get the chance to see them do it again, in a format that they know well, is exciting.
Mady has always worked extremely hard on her cricket, and she’s been playing with a huge smile on her face in recent weeks. She loves the game, and she’s getting the rewards that she deserves. To get this call up will be special for her, and something that has been a long time coming.”
Good luck to Eva, Grace, and Mady!
England A squad
Georgia Adams (Southern Vipers)
Hollie Armitage (Northern Diamonds)
Hannah Baker (Central Sparks)
Alice Davidson-Richards (South East Stars)
Kirstie Gordon (The Blaze)
Eva Gray (Sunrisers)
Bess Heath (Northern Diamonds)
Ryana MacDonald-Gay (South East Stars)
Paige Scholfield (South East Stars)
Grace Scrivens (captain, Sunrisers)
Bryony Smith (vice-captain, South East Stars)
Linsey Smith (Southern Vipers)
Mady Villiers (Sunrisers)