Middlesex, Essex and Northants hub to play as Sunrisers

The first of the new England and Wales Cricket Board domestic regional hubs has been branded as the Sunrisers. The team will compete in a new elite women's competition, which was due to start this summer but has been delayed due to the coronavirus crisis.

The team will represent Middlesex, Essex, Northamptonshire and the MCC as well as the minor counties of Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Norfolk and Bedfordshire and Huntingdonshire.

As well as competing in the new domestic structure, the Sunrisers will have a performance programme at Academy and Emerging Player level, aimed at developing talent across the region.

Amara Carr, Naomi Dattani and Cordelia Griffith (pictured) were the first three players from the region to be awarded retained professional contracts with the Sunrisers.

Trevor Griffin has been named as head coach, having previously guided Western Storm to two Kia Super League titles as well as working with both the England Women’s team and the England Women’s Academy. Griffin will also continue to work in Australia as Head Coach of the Sydney Thunder Women’s Big Bash franchise. 

"I’m delighted to have been asked to take up the fantastic role of Sunrisers Head Coach in this brand-new era for Women’s cricket," Griffin said.

"There are a lot of talented players within the region & I’m really looking forward to working with Danni & the linked counties to develop them into a strong Sunrisers squad, achieve their ambitions & ultimately see some of them progress onto the England pathway.“