Confidence is high for Yorkshire’s Women as they begin to start their summer this weekend, tackling Worcestershire at Headingley on Saturday in their opening Metro Bank One-Day Cup 2 clash.
A winter’s hard work was followed by some encouraging performances on their 10-day pre-season tour in Abu Dhabi at the end of last month and the start of this, the county holding their own against higher-ranked opposition.
They beat the UAE in a T20 clash and were only just beaten by 2023/24 Australian state champions Tasmania and Tier 1 counties The Blaze, Surrey and Essex.
As a result of beating the UAE heavily, they qualified for the final of the Abu Dhabi Women’s T20 competition, where they were beaten by The Blaze.
Coach Rich Pyrah has spoken extensively through the winter about how results are not the be all and end all for the county’s only summer in Tier 2, instead the management are more focused on seeing development of skills ahead of 2026 when they will move up to Tier 1.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Vice captain Maddie Ward is confident of a strong season for Yorkshire Women.
Still, once the players cross that boundary rope on Saturday (10.30am), they will be doing all they can to topple the Pears.
Vice captain Maddie Ward said: “I think so many positives came out of the tour.
“Obviously being the underdogs as a Tier 2 county, going into it and getting to that T20 final, that’s probably something we knew we were good enough to do but a lot of other people didn’t expect.
“It was nice for us to show that we definitely would be able to compete in a Tier 1 environment this year.
“It was a good to measure the progress over the winter and give us a lot of confidence going forward.
“With the group of players we’ve got, we’ve got a hell of a lot of talent and a lot of girls that definitely should be playing regular Tier 1 cricket. So we’ll keep working hard, and when we get there next year, I don’t think we’ve got anything to be afraid of.”
Picture by Simon Wilkinson/SWpix.com. Lauren Winfield-Hill will lead Yorkshire out at Headingley on Saturday.
Ward, 20, was one of the standout performers on that tour.
The definition of true all-rounder, she can keep wicket, bat and bowls varied spin. She impressed in Abu Dhabi, arguably having her biggest impact with the ball in the T20s, claiming four wickets across three matches.
“I didn’t expect to bowl as much as I did, but I’m quite happy with how that came out,” she said, having bowled a mixture of off-spin and leg-spin.
“I’ve been bowling for quite a while. I’ve always done it alongside keeping. I’ve played in teams where there’s been multiple keepers. When I’ve been fielding, I’ve got a bit bored, so I brought an extra string to my bow.”
Nottingham-born Ward very much comes across as an old head on young shoulders type.
Against Worcestershire, she will make only her second senior career appearance having played one 50-over match for the Northern Diamonds last summer.
Picture by Gareth Copley/Getty Images. During her days with the Central Sparks, Ami Campbell played county cricket for Worcestershire.
Ward is one of two vice captains underneath skipper Lauren Winfield-Hill, with seamer Rachel Slater the other. Slater is unavailable for this fixture because of international duty with Scotland in Pakistan.
Slater is having an excellent 50-over World Cup qualification tournament with Scotland, who are likely to miss out on qualification for this year’s event. She has claimed five wickets in three matches, whilst also scoring a career best 61 not out in Tuesday’s defeat to Bangladesh. Chasing 277, Scotland fell to 110-7, only for Slater and Priyanaz Chatterji to share a consolatory 115 for the eighth wicket – a record for that wicket in women’s ODI cricket.
Back to Ward, though, and the role of vice captain – and she will lead the side at some point this summer – has given her a real spring in her step.
“Having the vice-captaincy with slats is something that I’ve really appreciated,” she said. “It’s definitely made me a bit more confident in the team setting and the team environment, to give my opinion and say how I feel. I get the backing from the girls as well, which is great.”
Batter Ami Campbell should be able to give Yorkshire some kind of inside track on Worcestershire having played for them during her time with Central Sparks.
The likes of Clare Boycott, Chloe Hill and Gwen Davies all played senior cricket during the regional era of English domestic cricket.
Picture by Alex Davidson. ICC via Getty Images. Rachel Slater misses Saturday’s opener because of Scotland commitments.
There is no doubt that Saturday will be a proud moment for many involved with Yorkshire CCC.
Last week Winfield-Hill described the prospect of leading her team out at Headingley as a great moment, while coach Pyrah has a similar feeling.
He added: “To see the first Yorkshire professional women’s team walking out at Headingley, wearing the white rose, it will be a proud moment for all of us.
“There will be some nerves from the girls.
“The club’s women’s membership has gone up to nearly 1,500 now, which is brilliant.
“We’re hoping for a decent crowd on Saturday. It will be really exciting to watch them play.”
You can secure a women’s membership for 2025 or tickets for Saturday’s season opener via the links below. Both are free of charge.
