Bess Heath says getting the chance to represent England at Headingley next weekend would be “pretty special”.
Northern Diamonds ace Heath is in England’s squad for a trio of international T20s against Pakistan, a series which starts at Edgbaston tomorrow afternoon.
The series moves to Northampton next Friday before Headingley next Sunday (1pm), a day which Yorkshire have titled as ’A celebration of women’s sport’.
Wicketkeeper-batter Heath, 22, hails from Chesterfield and came through Derbyshire’s age-group system. But she has been involved in Yorkshire Cricket since 2018, when she first played for the Yorkshire Diamonds in the old Kia Super League.
She has since played county cricket for Yorkshire and has made 58 appearances for the Diamonds in all cricket, scoring 1,421 runs with 10 fifties and taking 25 catches and 11 stumpings.
Picture by Olly Hassell/SWpix.com. Bess Heath bats for the Northern Diamonds in this summer’s Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.
More importantly, she was part of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy-winning side of 2022.
“I feel like I an adopted Yorkshire girl now, and it definitely feels like home for me,” said Heath.
“It’s a home ground for me, and it’s definitely a batter-friendly wicket. So I’d love to be involved in that game. It would be pretty special, but we’ve just got to see what happens.”
Since debuting for England last September, Heath has made five appearances for her country; four in T20 cricket added to a solitary one-day international.
Heath will miss her region’s opening Charlotte Edwards Cup fixture against Lancashire Thunder at Emirates Old Trafford, a game played at exactly the same time next Sunday.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Bess Heath fields at Headingley last month. She hopes to be out there again next weekend in England colours.
But she is due to be back with the Diamonds a week on Thursday when they face Blaze under lights at Trent Bridge (May 23).
“It will be good to get back with the England girls and be around that squad, and when I’m able to come back and play for the Diamonds I can click back in and really enjoy it,” she said. “The more cricket for me, the better.”
One of those aforementioned 10 fifties for the Diamonds came on Wednesday in their thrilling three-run win over South East Stars at Beckenham in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.
She has been elevated up the order to bat at four this season, a place higher than she batted last season.
Heath added: “I think there’s more variability coming in at four, and it’s just about reading the game and being a bit smarter, trying to control the middle set a bit more.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Bess Heath.
“It’s about building and being in there for the last five overs and party time, really. It’s a slight change and a new challenge, but I’m really enjoying it.
“It’s just testing my game in different ways, which can only be a positive, and it’s all development.”
