Home is definitely where the heart is for Rachel Slater, the left-arm swing bowler who has signed a three-year contract to play for Yorkshire ahead of 2025.
Slater was born in New York State, she’s a Scottish international but was raised in Leeds and came through the Yorkshire system, once taking 6-7 in an Under 17s game.
And she can’t wait to continue her cricketing journey alongside coach Rich Pyrah and company at Headingley.
“For me, signing here felt like the best decision for my career,” said the Collingham and Linton product.
“It’s not always about playing at top level all of the time, it’s about making sure that you’re improving and developing and you feel like you’re in an environment which is going to get 100 percent out of you.
Picture by John Clifton/SWpix.com. Rachel Slater is remaining at Headingley.
“I think I got so much out of the environment we had with the Diamonds at Headingley.
“I’ve spent the best part of five years here, and I’m really happy to be staying.”
Slater may only be 23-years-old, with injuries meaning that she hasn’t played the amount of senior cricket that she’d have liked in recent years. But she has just finished a memorable 2024, with some excellent performances both at home and abroad.
And there’s no doubt that she is one of Yorkshire’s marquee signings heading into the new era of domestic women’s cricket in England, which starts with the county playing Tier 2 cricket in 2025.
With that in mind, and the fact Slater has prior experience of life as a full-time professional having been contracted by the Diamonds, that naturally means she will be one of the senior players in Yorkshire’s squad alongside the likes of Ami Campbell, Sterre Kalis, Beth Langston and Lauren Winfield-Hill.
Picture by Dan Istitene – ECB via Getty Images. Rachel Slater on duty with the Oval Invincibles this summer.
“I feel like it’s a good time for me to look at that and step up,” she continued.
“It’s something I want to do. I want to be a good role-model to the younger players. I’m excited for that. I can’t wait to get going.”
Slater performed well for both Scotland and for the now defunct Northern Diamonds this year.
She was the leading wicket-taker with 11 in April’s ICC T20 World Cup Global Qualifiers event and played for Scotland in the World Cup in Dubai and Sharjah in October.
And not only did she impress with the ball, she also famously won a Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy game with the bat from number 11. Chasing 240 to beat Southern Vipers at Headingley in September, she hit an unbeaten 18 to help secure a one-wicket win.
Picture by John Clifton/SWpix.com. Rachel Slater celebrates after sealing a win with the bat for the Northern Diamonds against Southern Vipers in September.
“Next year is a really good opportunity for all the girls,” she added.
“For myself, I’ve been around a while but haven’t played a massive amount of cricket. But I feel like this one has been a really good year for me, and I want to build on this and do it consistently.
“I want this to be my base level – not just with the ball but with the bat.
“That will mean batting higher if I get the opportunity, bowling the difficult overs and in the key phases and taking a bit more responsibility.
“For all of the girls, next year is a really good opportunity to develop all aspects of your cricket and go back into Tier 1 the year after with a lot more confidence.”
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Rachel Slater bowls for the Northern Diamonds.
