Essex Cricket are delighted to announce that Stephen Parry has agreed terms to become Essex Women’s Head Coach.
After building a strong foundation both as a player and a coach, Parry is now set to bring his expertise to a new environment at the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground. He joins the Club ahead of the 2026 season, ready to shape the current group of Essex Women players and contribute to their success both on and off the field.
Stephen David Parry is a former English professional cricketer who moved into coaching after his retirement from the professional game in 2020. With an impressive record as a white-ball specialist for Lancashire, Parry has used his experience to develop his coaching career and now joins Essex Cricket on a three-year deal.
On becoming Essex Women’s Head Coach, Parry said: “I am really excited for this next journey of my cricket career.
“I have seen the squad and I feel like I can bring my experience here to move them forward, become more competitive and work towards winning some trophies.
“The squad we have here is really exciting and there is a lot of room for growth. There are some great people here, plenty to work with and the Club has a real family-orientated feel to it. I am still young, thirsty to learn and want to improve myself whilst helping everybody around me and look to build something special.
“The long-term goal is to build a squad where we are competitive across all formats, the first team, Academy and Pathway – enhancing Essex Women’s cricket as a whole.”
Parry spent all his career with Lancashire, where he became known as a skilful left-arm spinner and became the leading T20 wicket taker for the Red Rose in their history. His white-ball success with Lancashire earned him England recognition in 2014 and 2015, during which he played in both ODI and T20I formats, including the 2014 T20 World Cup in Bangladesh. He also represented Brisbane Heat in the 2014/15 Big Bash League.
After retiring in 2020, in which he was awarded a testimonial year with Lancashire, Parry transitioned into coaching, joining Lancashire Women, under the former women’s regional structure based at Emirates Old Trafford.
Throughout Parry’s journey with Lancashire Women, he had a large influence on the squad, aiding them to develop and grow into a more competitive team and helping them achieve the double in the 2025 domestic season.
Since the introduction of The Hundred competition in 2020, Parry has spent four years with the Manchester Originals, including two as head coach. Having worked closely with world-class talent, he is now excited to bring this experience to drive further success for Essex Women. Parry is committed to developing players who can win games under pressure – across the Essex Women’s first team, Academy, Pathway, and age-group squads.
On the appointment of Stephen Parry, Essex Cricket’s Director of Cricket Chris Silverwood said: “We are really excited to appoint Stephen as the new Essex Women’s Head Coach.
“Stephen brings a wealth of experience from his playing and coaching career, and we are delighted to welcome him to the Club.
“His recent appointments with Lancashire and the Manchester Originals have shown that he can lead teams in high-pressure environments, and develop, nurture, and bring through talent, which makes him the ideal person to guide our Women’s squad.
“We are confident that Stephen will have a major impact in shaping the current group of Essex Women, contributing to success both on and off the field.”
Secure your international tickets!
Tickets for England Women’s Vitality IT20 against India Women at the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground on Thursday 28 May 2026 are on general sale and selling fast!
The T20 game will be the opening game of the series between the two sides and will also be the first game of India Women’s tour of England.
After an unforgettable summer of international cricket for the England teams, tickets for the fixture next summer have already proved extremely popular in the priority windows so secure your seat today!
Tickets can be bought online or through our Ticket Office on 01245 254010 (phone lines open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm).
