Debut appearance Tees up an exciting career
Jessica Woolston was one of four Academy graduates to make their senior debuts for the Northern Diamonds in 2022, the 21-year-old new ball seamer playing in the last Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy group match against the Southern Vipers at Headingley in September. She bowled four cheap overs of seam in a victory which sealed a final berth.
Born in Stockton-on-Tees, Woolston had returned a series of useful contributions for the Academy before doing the same for the seniors in 2023 – her breakthrough summer.
She progressed her game through the Durham age-groups, from Under 13s to the Under 17s.
Woolston made her senior debut for Durham in 2017, playing a handful of times, before moving to God’s Own County ahead of the 2019 season.
She has since played 13 times for Yorkshire’s senior team, helping them reach the 2022 County T20 Cup regional final.
Playing for Durham’s Under 17s in a 45-over victory against Oxfordshire in 2018, she took the new ball and claimed a stunning haul of 6-9 from eight overs, including five wickets bowled and the other lbw.
In 2023, she played 12 of the 14 Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy matches for the Diamonds, returning 13 wickets, including a fabulous match-winning 5-37 against South East Stars at Scarborough in May.
Woolston is yet to make her senior regional T20 debut. But it would be no surprise at all if that came in 2024.
UPDATED: Feb 2024.
