Countries | England |
---|---|
Administrator | Central Sparks |
Format | Limited overs cricket (50 overs per side) |
First edition | 2022 |
Latest edition | 2023 |
Tournament format | League system and final |
Number of teams | 4 |
Current champion | Worcestershire (1st title) |
Most successful | Wales (1 title) Worcestershire (1 title) |
Website | West Midlands Regional Cup |
The West Midlands Regional Cup is a domestic women's one-day cricket competition in England. Organised by the Central Sparks regional team, the tournament involves four teams based in or near the West Midlands, with its first edition taking place in 2022. Staffordshire, Wales, Warwickshire and Worcestershire are the four teams competing, with Warwickshire also playing "in a consortium" with Shropshire. [1]
Following the end of the Women's County Championship in 2019 and the launching of the new regional structure for domestic women's cricket in England in 2020, county sides were left without any 50-over cricket. Following the launch of similar competitions such as the East of England Women's County Championship, the Women's London Championship and the South Central Counties Cup, the West Midlands Regional Cup aims to continue the provision of longer-format county cricket, and support the development of players not playing in The Hundred, which takes place concurrently with the competition. [2] [1] [3]
The inaugural 2022 edition of the competition took place from 17 July to 4 September, with each team playing each other once and the top two sides advancing to a final. [1] [4] Worcestershire and Wales topped the group stage, with Wales winning in the final by 10 runs. [5] The 2023 edition of the tournament was won by Worcestershire, who beat Staffordshire in the final. [6]
Warwickshire County Cricket Club is one of eighteen first-class county clubs within the domestic cricket structure of England and Wales. It represents the historic county of Warwickshire.
The Wales women's cricket team is the Welsh team for women's cricket. They play their home matches at various grounds across the country, including Spytty Park, Newport and Pontarddulais Park, Pontarddulais. They are captained by Lauren Parfitt.
Cricket is one of the most popular sports in England, and has been played since the 16th century. Marylebone Cricket Club, based at Lord's, developed the modern rules of play and conduct. The sport is administered by the England and Wales Cricket Board and represented at an international level by the England men's team and England women's team. At a domestic level, teams are organised by county, competing in tournaments such as the County Championship, Royal London One-Day Cup, T20 Blast and the Women's Twenty20 Cup. Recent developments include the introduction of a regional structure for women's cricket and the establishment of The Hundred for both men's and women's cricket. Recreational matches are organised on a regional basis, with the top level being the ECB Premier Leagues.
The Warwickshire Women's cricket team is the women's representative cricket team for the English historic county of Warwickshire. They play their home games at Edgbaston Foundation Sports Ground, Birmingham, and are captained by Marie Kelly. In 2019, they won the Women's Twenty20 Cup. They are partnered with the regional side Central Sparks.
The Worcestershire Women's cricket team is the women's representative cricket team for the English historic county of Worcestershire. They play their home games at various grounds across the county, including Chester Road, Kidderminster and Stourbridge Road, Himley. They are captained by Chloe Hill. In 2019, they played in Division Two of the final season of the Women's County Championship, and have since competed in the Women's Twenty20 Cup. They are partnered with the West Midlands regional side Central Sparks.
The Staffordshire Women's cricket team is the women's representative cricket team for the English historic county of Staffordshire. They play their home games at various grounds across the county, including Tunstall Road, Knypersley and are captained by Stephanie Butler. In 2019, they played in Division Three of the final season of the Women's County Championship, and have since competed in the Women's Twenty20 Cup. They are partnered with the West Midlands regional side Central Sparks.
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. They are captained by Evelyn Jones and coached by Lloyd Tennant. The team is partnered with Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Staffordshire and Shropshire.
The Women's Twenty20 Cup, known for sponsorship reasons as the Vitality Women's County T20, is a women's Twenty20 cricket competition organised by the England and Wales Cricket Board. Until the end of the 2019 season, teams were organised in tiered divisions, with a national winner; since, teams have been organised into regional groups.
Evelyn Jones is an English cricketer who currently captains Central Sparks, as well as playing for Warwickshire and Birmingham Phoenix. She plays primarily as a left-handed opening batter, as well as bowling left-arm medium. She has previously played for Shropshire, Staffordshire and Lancashire, as well as for Loughborough Lightning and Lancashire Thunder in the Women's Cricket Super League, New Zealand side Canterbury Magicians and Women's Big Bash League team Melbourne Renegades.
Gwenan Mai Davies is a Welsh cricketer who currently plays for Warwickshire. She plays as a wicket-keeper and left-handed batter, as well as occasionally bowling right-arm medium-fast. She has previously played for Wales, Somerset and Central Sparks, as well as Yorkshire Diamonds and Surrey Stars in the Women's Cricket Super League and Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred.
Bethan Louisa Ellis is an English cricketer who currently plays for Warwickshire and Central Sparks. She plays primarily as a right-arm medium bowler, as a well as a right-handed lower-order batter. She has previously played for Shropshire, Worcestershire, Derbyshire and Lightning.
Abigail Johanna Freeborn is an English cricketer who currently plays for Staffordshire, Central Sparks and Birmingham Phoenix. She plays as a wicket-keeper and right-handed batter. She has previously played for Sussex, Yorkshire and Leicestershire, as well as Loughborough Lightning and Lightning in regional cricket and Trent Rockets in The Hundred.
Thea Francis Brookes is an English cricketer who currently plays for Surrey. An all-rounder, she plays as a right-handed batter and right-arm off break bowler. She previously played for Worcestershire, Warwickshire and Central Sparks, as well as Loughborough Lightning, Yorkshire Diamonds and Southern Vipers in the Women's Cricket Super League and Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred.
Hannah Louise Baker is an English cricketer who currently plays for Warwickshire, Central Sparks and Birmingham Phoenix. She plays as a right-arm leg break bowler. She previously played for Worcestershire and Welsh Fire.
Clare Katherine Boycott is an English cricketer who currently plays for Worcestershire. An all-rounder, she plays as a right-arm medium bowler and right-handed batter. She has previously played for Central Sparks.
The 2021 Charlotte Edwards Cup, initially named the 2021 Women's Regional T20, was the first edition of the Charlotte Edwards Cup, an English women's cricket Twenty20 domestic competition took place between 26 June and 5 September 2021. It featured eight teams playing in two double round-robin groups, followed by a Finals Day. South East Stars won the tournament, beating Northern Diamonds in the final. The tournament ran alongside the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.
The 2022 Charlotte Edwards Cup was the second edition of the Charlotte Edwards Cup, an English women's cricket Twenty20 domestic competition, which took place between 14 May and 11 June 2022. It featured eight teams playing in two double round-robin groups, followed by a Finals Day. The tournament ran alongside the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy. The tournament was named after former England captain Charlotte Edwards. The tournament was won by Southern Vipers, beating Central Sparks in the final.
The 2022 Women's Twenty20 Cup, known for sponsorship reasons as the 2022 Vitality Women's County T20, was the 13th edition of the Women's Twenty20 Cup, an English women's cricket Twenty20 domestic competition. It took place in April and May 2022, with 35 teams taking part, organised into eight regional groups. There was no overall winner, with Lancashire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Suffolk, Leicestershire and Rutland, Sussex, Middlesex and Devon winning their individual groups.
The 2022 English cricket season began on 7 April 2022 and finished on 29 September 2022. It was the 122nd season in which the County Championship has been an official competition and features First-Class, List-A and Twenty20 cricket competitions throughout England and Wales.
Gabrielle Amber Basketter is an English cricketer who currently plays for Worcestershire. An all-rounder, she is a right-handed batter and right-arm off break bowler. She has previously played for Hampshire, Wales and Central Sparks.