Birthday girl Grace Hall has looked ahead to 2025 with Yorkshire’s Women, saying: “I think this year will provide us with the perfect balance.”
Seam bowler Hall, who celebrates her 22nd today, signed a two-year contract with the county earlier this winter, her maiden full-time professional deal.
And she can’t wait to get stuck into the next 12 months, both on the field and in training, as the county look to progress and ready themselves for their elevation to Tier 1 in 2026.
Yorkshire will spend one year in Tier 2.
Yes, there was initial disappointment in the ECB’s decision when the news was revealed earlier in the year, though – on reflection – for the development of some young up and comers such as York native Hall, it may be a blessing in disguise.
“The long-term is looking to Tier 1, but that doesn’t discredit this coming year at all,” she said.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Grace Hall has swapped the colours of the Northern Diamonds for those of Yorkshire.
“For where I’m at, it’s the perfect opportunity to play lots of games and get better. Me being able to train and not rush off to Uni in the winter, that will hopefully just set me up perfectly.
“It’s the same for a lot of the girls. Look at Jess Woolston, for example.
“We’re young seamers who haven’t bowled many overs in a competitive environment this year. Hopefully this will do wonders for us.
“It’s a development year but in the same breath, we want to be winning games.”
And that is where Hall’s comment, “I think this year will provide us with the perfect balance”, comes in.
Hall is Yorkshire through and through, so earning a full-time contract to play for her home county is the stuff of dreams, as she admitted: “I’ve got my dream job straight out of Uni. I’m a full-time cricketer, and I couldn’t be happier.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Grace Hall is now a full-time professional for the first time in her career.
“Instead of sharing my time with cricket and studies, now I can fully focus on being full-time at cricket. I’m really excited.”
Yorkshire have signed a skilful seamer who this year graduated with a Journalism and PR with Media degree from Sheffield Hallam University.
She has spent the last two seasons on a pay-as-you-play contract with the now defunct Headingley-based Northern Diamonds side having graduated through their Academy.
Hall, a bowler with a slingy action not dissimilar to that of Lasith Malinga, broke through into senior cricket impressively in 2023. She claimed 21 wickets in 15 appearances across both T20 and 50-over cricket for the Diamonds.
She took 10 wickets in her first seven T20 matches for the Diamonds, including a best of 3-20 added to a trio of two-wicket hauls. She followed that with a senior best of 4-33 on 50-over debut in a victory over South East Stars at Beckenham, adding another four-for later in the same campaign.
Unfortunately, the 2024 summer was wrecked by an ankle ligament injury suffered when she slipped on the crease trying to bowl: “My back foot just didn’t land and went the other way,” she recalled.
Picture by John Clifton/SWpix.com. Grace Hall has a slingy action which brings with it significant skill.
“It was midway through the T20 block, so pretty early on in the season. A lot of the stuff I’d worked on was for me to be playing in the T20 competition, so that really set me back.”
Hall only made five competitive appearances for the Diamonds this summer, through until late May. But is certainly taking the glass half full view.
“I’ve worked really hard in the gym,” she said. “It was a long time, but Matty Anderson (Yorkshire Women’s lead strength and conditioning coach) – credit to him. He’s made it enjoyable and got me to a place where I finished the season bowling overs.
“A part of the rehab process was I know I can get back to that level I produced in 2023.
“I’ve not really had an injury where I’ve been out for that long, and it was a bit rubbish. But I’ve been looking back at last year and how I broke through, knowing that I can do it. Next year is another opportunity to show that. It’s all positive in my mind.”
Asked if, while sidelined, she looked at her game and worked out areas for improvement, Hall said: “Just being able to train professionally and more is where I will get better.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Grace Hall is bidding for progression with bat and ball.
“Last winter, I was training two days a week maybe alongside going to lectures and seminars.
“I was batting for about 20 minutes a week.
“Hopefully, with training and and linking the S&C stuff alongside it, I can get stronger and quicker.
“I’m just excited to be able to dedicate more time to it.”
As much as Hall is excited, so is Yorkshire coach Rich Pyrah, a seam bowler himself in his playing days.
“Grace has got a point of difference with her action being different to most girls,” he said. “As she develops and gets a bit quicker, she can be a real threat with that slingy action swinging it away with the new ball. She also has the attributes to get a bit of reverse swing.”
Picture by Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com. Yorkshire Women’s coach Rich Pyrah.
Hall is relishing the chance to work with former County Championship winner Pyrah over the next couple of years.
She added: “I was quite lucky in terms of when I started bowling again.
“I came back when Rich was about two or three weeks into this job in September. So the bowling sessions as I was having, they were with him.
“He’s been great, and for a young attack – me, I want to get more specific with my bowling and learn more about my game – it’s absolutely perfect. He’s all about that.
“I’m excited to keep going with Rich.”
