Rosa Simkin (@rosatalksball) – 17/04/25
A new season. A brand new system. The next chapter in the story of women’s domestic cricket.
As the 2025 season draws closer, a different kind of anticipation is building. This year marks the launch of Project Darwin and, with it, the beginning of Tier 2. An opportunity to strengthen the game, grow the pathway and deepen the foundation of women’s cricket in England and Wales. For players outside of the professional pathway it presents a new opportunity for wider coverage and improved resources providing long deserved recognition.
With new identities, changed playing squads and brand-new tournaments, here is your comprehensive guide to what women’s Tier 2 cricket will look like in 2025, with everything you need to know ahead of it all kicking off this weekend.
Order of Content – What is Tier 2?, The Competitions, 5 Players to Watch, My Predictions, The Teams (Leadership & Squads) & Key Dates.
What is Tier 2?
Women’s Domestic Structure 2025 Pyramid – ©England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB)
Tier Two forms part of the brand-new women’s domestic set-up, dubbed by the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) as Project Darwin.
In 2020, as part of their bid to grow the women’s game in England and Wales, the ECB opted to create a regional system, taking direct control of the professional women’s game away from the counties. Eight regional hubs were formed across the country, each representing a number of counties. For example, Central Sparks—the West Midlands hub—were partnered with Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Staffordshire, and Shropshire.
In 2024, the ECB announced that, owing to the growth of the women’s game during this period, the professional game would be handed back to the eighteen first-class counties from the 2025 season. However, recognising that the game is not yet ready to support eighteen professional women’s sides, they allowed counties to submit bids to host one of eight teams with Tier One status. The bidding process then split the counties into Tier One and Tier Two, with Tier One replacing the regional hubs as the fully professional teams.
Tier Two comprises the ten counties that either missed out on Tier One status or opted out of the bidding process. It provides greater playing opportunities for talent within England and Wales, as the ECB aims to bridge the gap between the professional and recreational game.
The Competitions
In a bid to unify the identity between the men’s and women’s county structures, the ECB has extended Metro Bank and Vitality’s naming rights (previously exclusive to the men’s white-ball tournaments) to encompass the women’s competitions as well. For the first time, the men’s and women’s teams will play under the same tournament banners: the Metro Bank One Day Cup and the Vitality Blast. For the women, these tournaments will be split into two leagues. Tier One will play in League One, while Tier Two plays in League Two. In addition, all three women’s tiers will compete alongside each other in a brand-new knock-out T20 tournament, also sponsored by Vitality.
Metro Bank One Day Cup (League Two)
Metro Bank takes over the naming rights for the domestic 50-over tournament; however, the trophy the teams will compete for will remain known as the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, possibly the only piece of the Regional era to transition into the professional county game. League Two consists of a single group, featuring all ten counties. Each county will play the other nine once, either at home or away, with the top four counties at the end of the group stage progressing to the semi-finals.
Vitality Blast (League Two)
Whilst the tournament’s male counterpart enters its 22nd season, the Women’s Blast is entering its first. The tournament will split the ten tier-two counties into two groups of five. The North Group features Derbyshire Falcons, Leicestershire Foxes, Northamptonshire Steelbacks, Worcestershire Rapids, and Yorkshire. The South Group includes Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Kent, Middlesex, and the Sussex Sharks. The league will follow a round-robin format, with each side playing all others in their group home and away, eight fixtures each. Following the conclusion of the group stage, the top two teams from each group will qualify for Finals Day, which will consist of two semi-finals and a final in Northampton.
Vitality T20 Women’s County Cup
The best way I can describe the cup is as the women’s cricket equivalent of the FA Cup in football. The tournament features 37 teams from all three tiers of the women’s game and operates on a knockout basis, with five match-days taking place across May. Tier 2 and 3 teams enter in Round One, with Tier One sides joining in Round Three. Tier 3 consists of the National Counties. The tournament provides opportunities for players from lower tiers to compete against professional teams, hopefully helping to bridge the gap between the recreational and professional game.
5 Players to Watch:
Flora Bertwistle (Worcestershire): A standout in Worcestershire’s 2024 campaign, the spinner finished as the side’s top wicket-taker accross formats, with figures of 52.2-4-175-19 at an average of 9.21. She was a key face in the Worcestershire side which finished 2nd in the ECB County Championship T20 Group Two and 3rd in the ECB County Championship 50-over tournament.
Amy Gordon (Kent): The former Surrey captain is a new addition to the squad, and many will recognise her as her photograph adorned the front of the Micky Stewart Pavilion alongside men’s captain Rory Burns last season. The all-rounder took 38 wickets and scored 910 runs during her time with Surrey.
Anisha Patel (Northamptonshire): Patel makes the move from Warwickshire, having represented the Bears since 2012. The experienced spinner took over 100 wickets during her time with the Bears, lifted multiple trophies, and also played a role in the early days of the Regional era with Central Sparks.
Prisha Thanawala (Leicestershire): The 18-year-old returns to the Foxes on loan from The Blaze, fresh from signing her first professional contract. The spinner took five wickets for England U19s at the U19 T20 World Cup in Malaysia earlier this year and can also be reliable with the bat, having scored four age-group hundreds for the Foxes since her debut in 2018.
Lauren Winfield-Hill (Yorkshire): Winfield-Hill is due to captain Yorkshire this season and can definitely be hailed as one of the most notable signings for the White Roses as they begin their Darwin journey, making the move from regional side the Northern Diamonds. The wicketkeeper-batter made over 100 appearances for England and has scored more than 2,000 runs for the Diamonds, topping the run-scoring charts year after year.
My Predictions:
It’s important to mention that Yorkshire are at an immediate advantage compared to the other Tier Two counties. The decision by the ECB to give Tier One status to Yorkshire’s co-hosts of the Northern Diamonds, Durham, whilst holding Yorkshire in Tier 2 until 2027 was a particularly controversial one. After much debate, the ECB decided to allow the side to gain Tier One status a year sooner, so commencing next season. Therefore, the team have begun their recruitment, and rewarded 12 players with professional deals.
However, despite their status as the only professional county, I don’t think their time in Tier Two will be all smooth sailing. I’m expecting Worcestershire and Kent to make the finals alongside Yorkshire in both tournaments, with Glamorgan and Northamptonshire potential names to join them.
My Metro Bank One Day Cup League Two Champion – Yorkshire
My Vitality Blast Tier Two Champion – Worcestershire
Team by Team Guide:
Derbyshire
Captain – Adrianna Darlow
Head Coach – Jon Dyson
Squad – Adrianna Darlow (C), Natasha Allen, Maria Andrews (Loan – The Blaze), Francesca Clarke, Jessica Couser, Rhiannon Knowling Davies, Millie Gray, Pagan Hardwick, Sophia McCollum, Caitlin McDonald, Ellie Nightingale (Loan – Yorkshire), Harriett Parkin, Megan Pittman, Ella Porter & Lara Shaw (Loan – The Blaze)
Glamorgan (Tier One from 2027)
Captain – Lauren Parfitt
Head Coach – Rachel Priest
Squad – Laura Parfitt (C), Katy Cobb, Lydia Clements, Rose Evans, Bea Ellis,Bethan Gammon, Daisy Jeanes, Megan Janczewski, Eve Jackson, Georgia Parfitt, Sara Phillips, Gemma Porter, Nicole Reid, Mariam Sahabdeen, Charlotte Scarborough, Anna-Mae Shearn, Flo Sharman, Libby Thomas, Isla Thomson & Poppy Walker
Gloucestershire
Captain – Liv Daniels
Head Coach – Lauren Rowles
Squad – Liv Daniels (C), Megan Ahearn, Chloe Barnar, Caitlin Belcher, Bhoomika Bhat, Alice Bird, Georgina Cant, Katie Dolman, Emily Geach, Becca Halliday, Alice Hill, Isobel Patel, Charlie Phillips, Charlotte Phillips, Prarthana Reddy, Melissa Story & Bea Willis
Kent
Captain – Megan Belt
Head Coach – James Hockley
Squad – Megan Belt (Captain), Coco Streets (VC), Laura Bailey, Olivia Barnes, Elsa Barnfather, Zeena Bilal, Jessica Bird, Matilda Callaghan, Ella Darlington, Molly Davis, Amy Gordon, Sydney Gorham, Alice Grant, Josie Hobson, Isabella James, Genevieve Jeer, Isobel Kirby, Grace Poole, Sophie Singer & Emily Thompson
Leicestershire
Captain – Rebecca Brooker
Head Coach – Stephen Franklin
Squad – Rebecca Brooker (C), Molly Abraham, Sophie Bennett, Hayley Brown, Aimee Colquhoun, Laura Crofts, Flora Davies (Loan – Blaze), April Herathge, Ellie Phillips (Loan – Warwickshire), D’Nica Roff, Bethan Solomon, Francesca Sweet, Prisha Thanawala (Loan – Blaze), Emma Thatcher, Ellen Watson, Lucy Weston & Holly Whitfield
Northamptonshire,
Captain – Anisha Patel (ODs) & Gemma Marriot (T20s)
Head Coach – David Ripley
Squad – Gemma Marriott (C), Anisha Patel (C), Beth Ascott, Abby Butcher (Loan – Essex), Emily Carpenter (Loan – Blaze), May Drinkell (Loan – Essex), Bella Howarth (Loan – Blaze), Amelia Kemp, Ella Phillips, Alicia Presland, Mabel Reid (Loan – Essex), Bethan Robinson, Poppy Smart, Lenny Sims & Katherine Speed.
Middlesex
Captain – Saskia Horley
Head Coach – Marc Broom
Squad – Saskia Horley (C), Jenny Blofeld, Rachana Cambampaty, Hannah Davies, Anisha Dissenayake, Artemis Downer, Gayatri Gole, Georgia Irving, Olivia Kibler, Layla Judge, Natasha Miles, Sonali Patel, Sarah Pearson, Riva Pindoria, Lucy Porter, Issy Routledge, Pippa Sproul, Finty Trussler, Lauren Turner & Katie Wolfe
Sussex
Captain – Chiara Green
Head Coach – Alexia Walker
Squad – Chiara Green (C), Mollie Adams, Anna Buckle, Maya Champion, Izzy Collis, Lottie Curling, Kali-Ann Doherty, Indigo Gentry, Beth Harvey, Tia Joseph, Rachel King, Anna Lewis, Faye Mullins, Hope Mullins, Alice Noakes, Regina Suddahazai-Khan, Lucy Western & Phoebe Wilkinson
Worcestershire
Captain – Chloe Hill
Head Coach – Ed Wilson
Squad – Chloe Hill (C), Jess Beach, Flora Bertwistle, Clare Boycott, Phoebe Brett, Emily Churms, Poppy Davies, Gwen Davies, Ruby Davis, Bryony Gilgrass, Liv Gough, Imogen Hill, Amy Maund, Charlotte Roberts & Samadhi Samrarkoon
Yorkshire (Tier One from 2026)
Captain – Lauren Winfield-Hill
Head Coach – Richard Pyrah
Squad – Lauren Winfield-Hill (Pro – 2028), Ami Campbell (Pro – 2027), Claudie Cooper (Pro – 2026), Rebecca Duckworth (Pro – 2026), Ria Fackrell (Pro – 2027), Grace Hall (Pro – 2026), Beth Langston (Pro – 2026), Rachel Slater (Pro – 2027), Erin Thomas (Rookie – 2026), Maddie Ward (Rookie – 2026) & Jess Woolston (Pro – 2026)
Key Dates:
Metro Bank One Day Cup League 2
Opening Fixtures: Saturday 19th April
Group Stage Block One: 19/04 – 15/05
Group Stage Block Two: 02/08 – 30/08
Semi-Finals: Saturday 6th September
Finals Day: Sunday 14th September, Visit Worcestershire New Road
Vitality Blast League 2
Opening Fixtures: Sunday 1st June
Group Stage: 01/06 – 20/07
Finals Day: Saturday 26th July, County Ground, Northampton
Vitality T20 Women’s County Cup
Round One: Monday 5th May
Round Two: Saturday 10th May
Round Three: Saturday 17th May
Quarter-Finals: Saturday 24th May
Finals Day: Monday 26th May, The Cooper Associate County Ground, Taunton
