South East Stars Women
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Wikipedia - South East Stars
South East Stars were a women's cricket team that represented the London & South East region, one of eight regional hubs in English domestic women's cricket. They played their home matches at various grounds, including the County Cricket Ground, Beckenham. They were captained by Bryony Smith and coached by Johann Myburgh. The team carried over many elements of the WCSL team Surrey Stars, but were partnered with both Surrey and Kent. The team won the inaugural Charlotte Edwards Cup, beating Northern Diamonds in the final.
At the end of the 2024 season, following reforms to the structure of women's domestic cricket, the team was effectively replaced by a professionalised Surrey team.
History
In 2020, women's cricket in England was restructured, creating eight new 'regional hub' teams, with the intention of playing both 50-over and 20-over cricket. South East Stars were one of the sides created under this structure, effectively replacing the Women's Cricket Super League team Surrey Stars and representing the London & South East region, partnering with Surrey and Kent. The side was to be captained by Tash Farrant and coached by Jonathan Batty. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 season was truncated, and only 50-over cricket was played, in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy. South East Stars finished third in the South Group of the competition, winning two of their six matches. At the end of the season, five Stars players were given full-time domestic contracts, the first of their kind in England: Tash Farrant, Alice Davidson-Richards, Sophia Dunkley, Bryony Smith and Aylish Cranstone.
The following season, 2021, South East Stars competed in both the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and the newly formed Twenty20 competition, the Charlotte Edwards Cup. Johann Myburgh was named as the new Head Coach of the side. In the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, the side finished fifth in the group of eight, winning three of their seven matches, including scoring the highest team score of the tournament in the opening match, 324/7 against Sunrisers. In the Charlotte Edwards Cup, the Stars topped Group A of the tournament, winning five of their six matches to progress directly to the final. In the final, they played against Northern Diamonds. Chasing 139 to win, South East Stars won by 5 wickets with 2 overs to spare, with Alice Capsey top scoring with 40*. Bryony Smith, who captained the side throughout most of the tournament whilst Tash Farrant was on international duty, ended the tournament as the leading wicket-taker, with 14 wickets. Smith became the permanent captain of the side ahead of the 2022 season. The team qualified for the semi-final of the Charlotte Edwards Cup that season after topping Group A with five wins from six matches, but lost by 2 wickets to Central Sparks. They finished second in the group stage of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, qualifying for the play-off. In the play-off, they lost to Southern Vipers by 6 wickets.
In 2023, they finished fifth in the Charlotte Edwards Cup, winning three of their seven matches. They finished third in the group stage of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, therefore qualifying for the play-off. However, they lost in the play-off to The Blaze by 8 wickets (DLS). In 2024, the side were runners-up in both competitions. In the Charlotte Edwards Cup, they finished second in the group stage before beating Southern Vipers in the semi-finals and losing to The Blaze in the final. In the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, they again finished second in the group, and again defeated Southern Vipers in the semi-finals. They lost to Sunrisers in the final. Stars batter Alice Davidson-Richards was the leading run-scorer in the tournament, with 650 runs.
2024 was the side's final season, with reforms to the structure of domestic cricket in England meaning that the side was effectively replaced by a professionalised Surrey team.
The South East Stars Women's team boasts a roster of top-notch players who excel in all facets of the game, from batting and bowling to fielding and leadership. Their commitment to excellence is evident in their performances on the field, where they consistently showcase their skills and determination to succeed.
With a strong coaching staff and support system behind them, the South East Stars Women's team is always striving to improve and reach new heights in their cricketing endeavors. Whether competing in domestic leagues or international tournaments, they always give their all and represent Great Britain with pride and passion.
Fans of women's cricket in Great Britain can always count on the South East Stars Women's team to deliver exciting and competitive matches, as they continue to make their mark on the sport and inspire the next generation of players.