Picture by John Mallett/LeicestershireCCC. Georgie Boyce hits over the top en-route to an opening 47 in victory over Leicestershire at Grace Road yesterday.
On-loan opening batter Georgie Boyce says she is loving her time with Yorkshire as she benefits from the move to a tiered county structure in women’s domestic cricket in England.
Boyce is on loan at Headingley from The Blaze for the duration of the Vitality Blast competition, which draws to a conclusion over the next week.
Boyce, 26, has had limited exposure with her Tier 1 county in 2025, playing only four times in the first block of Metro Bank One-Day Cup matches and three times in the Vitality County T20 Cup knockout competition, which saw Blaze reach the semi-finals.
She has since made as many Tier 2 Blast appearances for Yorkshire, posting standout scores of 42, 46, 55 and 47 to help the county reach Finals Day next Saturday.
Boyce has been speaking ahead of tomorrow’s final group game against Worcestershire Rapids at New Road, 2.30pm, which sees the White Rose go in search of an eighth win from eight.
“I’ve loved it,” said Boyce, who hit that aforementioned 47 in yesterday afternoon’s win over Leicestershire Foxes at Grace Road – by 12 runs defending 143.
“The girls here have been great and the staff amazing too.
“It’s nice to contribute to a winning team and be welcomed with open arms, which has massively been the case.”
Boyce has been able to make the best of a frustrating situation down at Nottingham-based The Blaze.
“That’s what the Tiered system has been able to do this year,” she said.
“If you were out of the first team a few years ago, you’d probably be struggling to play much cricket.
“This Tiered system and the loan system has worked really well.
“Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to get into the team at The Blaze, but I’ve been able to come here and play and contribute with Yorkshire.”
Yorkshire are setting themselves up ideally for a crack at Finals Day at Northampton on Saturday, where they will be joined by Middlesex and Glamorgan from the South Group and a yet-to-be confirmed second-placed finisher from the North.
“The performances are most important,” said Boyce. “Obviously, with that, the outcome is generally you win games of cricket. More often than not, they go hand in hand.
“But the environment Rich Pyrah and Chris Brice are trying to create here is not just something which will be successful in Tier 2, we’re going to try and be successful in Tier 1 as well.
“The girls are right behind that.
“Yes, it’s nice to be involved in winning a lot of games. But what goes on behind the scenes is more important.”
Boyce was also part of the Lancashire Thunder squad, and as vice captain, in the early stages of the regional era before moving home to Nottingham.
And with plenty of experience of top-level domestic cricket in England under her belt, she is well placed to give a view on how Yorkshire may go when they step up to Tier 1 in 2026.
“They’re a young squad with plenty of inexperience,” she added.
“But there’s good experience there as well. Obviously, Sterre Kalis and Lauren Winfield-Hill will come back into that after their loan spells.
“It’s going to be a big step up.
“There’s a big difference between Tier 2 and Tier 1.
“But it will be really exciting to see where they go with it.”
Three teams from the North Group can still qualify for Finals Day, including Worcestershire Rapids.
While Yorkshire sit on 33 points, Northamptonshire are second on 14 having won three of eight games. They have finished their group stage campaign.
Should third-placed Leicestershire (13 points) beat fifth-placed Derbyshire at Repton School tomorrow, they would qualify.
If Leicestershire lose, Worcestershire in fourth (11 points) would qualify with a win over Yorkshire.
Worcestershire have so far won two of their seven games.
Yorkshire beat them at Headingley by seven wickets chasing 105 last month in the Blast.
The Rapids, however, are the only Tier 2 county to beat Yorkshire this season, doing so in the opening game of 2025 at Headingley in April in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup.
They are captained by opening batter Clare Boycott.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Georgie Boyce celebrates her half-century against Northamptonshire Steelbacks at Headingley last Sunday.
