Rosa Simkin (@rosatalksball) – April 2026
Taken from TIERED Volume 1. The women’s county game’s first monthly magazine.
There’s something fitting about the way Phoebe Turner tells her story. No grand declarations, no overcomplication, just a clear, grounded sense of where she’s come from and where she’s going. It mirrors her cricket. “I try to keep my game really simple,” she says at one point. It’s a line she returns to more than once, and it might just be the key to understanding one of the most exciting young bowlers in the English domestic game right now.
I sat down with Turner ahead of the 2026 season to talk about her journey, from street cricket in Yorkshire to a breakthrough year with Durham, a new long-term contract, and a growing sense that she’s only just getting started.
Street cricket and sibling rivalry
Like so many stories in women’s cricket, Turner’s begins not in a structured pathway, but in a street with her siblings.
“I was always a sporting kind of girl,” she says. “I was brought up with two older brothers… and I think I just wanted to be like them.”
That meant joining in, whether she was invited or not. Dustbins became makeshift wickets. A tennis ball, a bat, and a group of boys formed her first team. Turner was the only girl.
“I remember literally bowling underarm and they’d just be hitting me over the houses,” she laughs. “It got to the point where they didn’t want me to bowl underarm. I had to learn quickly how to actually bowl properly.”
There’s a fondness in the way she recalls it now, but also a quiet acknowledgment of how formative those moments were. “I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for them,” she says of her brothers and the boys on her street. “They didn’t have to include me.”
That early environment shaped her competitiveness. It also gave her one of her favourite memories: “I remember when I got one of the boys out, I was absolutely buzzing. You could tell they had a bit of second-hand embarrassment.”
From there, the transition into club cricket came naturally. At Thirsk Cricket Club, she was again the only girl in her age group, but this time among familiar faces from school. It made the jump easier, but the wider landscape for girls’ cricket was still limited.
That began to change when a chance encounter nudged her toward a girls’ pathway.
“I remember hiding in my mum’s footwell of the car,” she admits, laughing, when a coach approached about joining a girls’ team at Sessay. “I didn’t want any interaction.”
It nearly didn’t happen. Until, at the last moment, something shifted.
“I just thought, why not? And I loved it. Absolutely loved it.”
Finding a pathway
From that point, Turner’s journey through the system accelerated. North Yorkshire trials led to Yorkshire, and from under-11s onwards she became a constant presence in the county setup.
“I went just for fun,” she says. “I didn’t think anything of it. And then I got in and I was like, this is crazy.”
It’s easy, in hindsight, to see a smooth pathway. Turner is quick to correct that perception.
“It all seems quite smooth sailing, but there were a few bumps in the road. It’s not as easy as it sounds.”
Still, the foundations were set: years within Yorkshire’s system, then progression into the regional era with the Northern Diamonds. It was here that her game, and her understanding of professionalism, began to take shape.
The Diamonds years
Turner speaks with real warmth about her time with Northern Diamonds, particularly the influence of academy coach Courtney Winfield-Hill.
“She’s just one of a kind,” Turner says. “A bundle of fun, but so determined to get the best out of you.”
The academy environment gave her both structure and belief. But the jump to senior cricket still required patience, and performance.
Her opportunity came in 2022, when she received a pay-as-you-play call-up under Dani Hazell.
At the time, Turner was balancing cricket with an apprenticeship in primary school teaching. Training had to fit around work. Senior sessions weren’t always possible. But when the call came, she was ready.
Her debut remains a standout moment, not least because of who handed her cap.
“Lauren Winfield-Hill gave me my cap,” she says. “When I was ten or eleven, she gave me my first Yorkshire batting award. So that was quite emotional.”
The season that followed was a whirlwind. From uncertain beginnings, Turner became part of a squad that would go on to win at Lord’s.
“I remember the year before, I was watching the final as a supporter,” she says. “And then the year after, I was playing in it, and we won. It’s what you dream of.”
A changing game
Turner’s journey has unfolded alongside one of the most significant periods of change in women’s cricket in England. The introduction of full-time domestic contracts, and more recently, the expansion under Project Darwin, has transformed the landscape.
“When I was younger, the only way you could be a professional cricketer was playing for England,” she says. “Now there’s a clear pathway.”
That clarity matters. Turner has seen first-hand how a lack of visible opportunity can affect participation.
“A lot of girls dropped off because they lost enjoyment,” she reflects. “Maybe they didn’t see a future in it.”
Now, that future is tangible. With nine professional teams and a growing network of academies and pathways, the game is expanding at every level.
“You see so many more girls playing now,” she says. “Because they can actually see, if I work hard, I can be a professional cricketer.”
A new chapter at Durham
At the start of this new era, Turner made a significant decision. She followed Hazell north, signing with Durham.
For a Yorkshire player, it wasn’t straightforward.
“It was quite difficult,” she admits. “Being a Yorkshire girl, it’s hard to leave your home county.”
But the move has paid off. In Durham, Turner has found both opportunity and environment.
“They’ve created such a homely culture,” she says. “Everyone supports each other. The supporters have really had our back as well.”
The connection with the local community stands out in particular. Turner speaks about young girls attending matches, watching, learning, and perhaps one day following in her footsteps.
“I hope one day we can play with some of those girls,” she says. “You can see the impact it’s having.”
A breakthrough season
That sense of belonging translated into performance in 2025. Turner finished as one of the leading wicket-takers in the One Day Cup, an achievement she reflects on with a mix of pride and perspective.
“It’s pretty cool,” she says, smiling.
But the real story lies in how she got there.
Early in her career, Turner saw herself primarily as a batter. Bowling was secondary. Over time, that has changed.
“I’ve really developed my bowling over the last couple of seasons,” she explains. “I want to be someone the captain can turn to to get that key wicket.”
The shift has been as much mental as technical.
“I used to overthink a lot,” she admits. “Now I just try to keep everything simple.”
It’s a philosophy that runs through her game. Rather than getting caught up in opposition strengths or external noise, Turner focuses on clarity.
“When I’ve got the ball in my hand, I know what I can do,” she says. “It’s just about executing it.”
There’s an acceptance, too, that not every day will be perfect.
“You’re not going to have an amazing game every time,” she says. “That’s how you learn.”
Under the radar
Ask Turner to describe herself as a player, and she hesitates. Then comes an answer that feels both honest and revealing.
“Energetic. Positive. Determined.”
There’s also an intensity, something she’s been told she could perhaps dial back.
“I get very zoned in,” she admits. “Maybe I need to have a bit more fun on the pitch.”
But that focus is also part of what drives her. Turner wants the ball. She wants the responsibility. She wants to influence games.
Interestingly, she also notes that she often flies under the radar.
“Not a lot of people know me,” she says. “Which is kind of good, I can just get on with my stuff.”
That may not last much longer.
The Hundred moment
If 2025 was a breakthrough year, then The Hundred Auction could be 2026’s defining moment.
Turner didn’t expect to be picked. She watched the early selections with excitement for her teammates, celebrating each name as it appeared.
“I was just buzzing for everyone else,” she says.
Then, suddenly, it was her turn.
“I remember thinking, this is insane,” she says. “And then I got picked… and I was like, I’m going to be playing at Lord’s.”
Selected by London Spirit, Turner’s reaction was immediate, and emotional.
“My mum rang me crying,” she says. “My brother rang me. It was just… crazy.”
Messages flooded in from across the game, including senior England figures Heather Knight and Jon Lewis. The scale of it all is still sinking in.
“I still can’t really get over it,” she admits
Building something at Durham
Despite the excitement of new opportunities, Turner’s focus remains firmly with Durham. Her decision to sign through to 2027 reflects both her belief in the project and the environment around her.
A key factor is leadership. She speaks highly of captain Hollie Armitage.
“She’s the best captain,” Turner says. “So tactically aware, and really good with people.”
There’s also trust, from coaches, from teammates, and from the wider setup.
“The coaches understand what I need,” she says. “That’s probably why I’ve succeeded.”
And then there’s the culture: a group genuinely invested in each other’s success.
“When someone does well, everyone’s buzzing,” she says. “You just want your mates to succeed.”
Eyes on the treble
Looking ahead to 2026, Turner isn’t shying away from ambition.
“We want to win all three,” she says, smiling. “The treble.”
It’s said half in jest, but the intent is real. Durham came close in 2025, with fine margins separating them from finals.
“We were in contention,” she says. “We just let a couple of moments slip.”
This year, the expectation is different. The squad is more settled. The experience is there. And the belief has grown.
“I’m very confident we’ll put on a good show,” Turner says. “And hopefully get some silverware.”
Keeping it simple
As the conversation draws to a close, it’s hard not to return to that central theme: simplicity.
In a sport, and a system, that is becoming increasingly complex, Turner’s approach feels refreshingly clear.
No overthinking. No unnecessary noise. Just a ball in hand, a plan, and the belief to execute it.
“I know I can do it,” she says.
For Phoebe Turner, that might be the simplest, and most powerful, statement of all.
