Essex Women’s Skipper, Kelly Castle has been announced as the Sunrisers T20 Captain for the upcoming Charlotte Edwards Cup campaign.
Kelly, who has captained Essex since 2018, brings a wealth of leadership experience to the role. Her passion for the game, and for developing others, has also seen her achieve her Level 3 coaching qualification and work with young county age-group cricketers.
Kelly is also currently completing her Masters in Sport and Exercise Science, with a focus on parent influences in female youth cricket.
As one of Sunrisers five full-time professional cricketers Kelly has made her mark on the field this season, in the 50 over format. Taking 3 for 40 in the opening game of the season against South East Stars, registering her maiden half-century with 52 against Lightning and taking 2 wickets in an MVP performance.
Commenting on the captaincy, Kelly shared her excitement for the coming competition:
“I’m really excited to be given the opportunity to captain this team in a new format. I’m looking forward to the challenge and for the team to showcase their skills in a completely new competition.”
Head Coach Trevor Griffin explained the thinking behind a change in captaincy and the influence that Kelly can have on the side:
“At the start of a brand new competition, I’m delighted to announce Kelly as Sunrisers’ T20 captain for the 2021 campaign. Kelly is a dedicated, passionate player who has a great connection with everyone in the squad and as Captain, she now has a great opportunity to lead from the front and inspire confidence to help the team perform at their best.
She has grown hugely as a person and a player in the past twelve months and I’m really looking forward to helping her develop her leadership skills and all that the role encompasses.”
Sunrisers start their T20, Charlotte Edwards Cup, campaign on Saturday 26 June with a trip to Western Storm, played at the Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton. You can watch all the action online from 2:30pm via the Sunrisers YouTube channel.
Kelly’s first home match as captain takes place on Friday 2 July with Northern Diamonds visiting her home ground, The Cloudfm County Ground, Chelmsford, for a floodlit encounter. Play begins at 6:30pm and tickets are available now via the following link, priced at £10 Adults and £5 Juniors & Teens.
