I want to surround myself with people who do things better than I do. We all have different strengths, and working together makes everyone stronger. Whether in teaching or coaching, I’ve always been passionate about supporting people to keep developing and reach their potential, whatever that looks like for them.
At the Metro Bank Girls in Cricket Fund Network Live 2026: Leading the Future of Women’s Cricket conference, I’ll touch upon my journey in coaching and deliver a workshop on spin bowling, but my main focus will be talking about creativity in coaching – or, to put it another way, finding different ways to do the same thing. The idea of repetition without repetition is something I naturally focus on in my coaching.
If I’m working with my academy group, they’ll all learn in very different ways. They’ll pick things up differently, so if you can target the same skill in multiple ways, more people will benefit. Doing the same thing in the same way over and over again means some players miss out. And especially in England, with a six-month winter training period spent in sports halls, you have to find ways to keep things interesting.
I’m currently Surrey’s Head of Pathway, which is a really varied role and probably why I enjoy it so much. As head coach of the women’s academy, I oversee the development of its 14 players, create individual plans, hold one-to-one meetings, track progress, and manage coaches.
Alongside that, I steer the vision and strategy of the wider talent pathway. That includes talent identification, coach CPD, defining what we look for in players, and how talent can be identified and developed across the Surrey and Kent pathways that feed into our academy.
I also spend a fair amount of time with the senior team, managing the transition for players moving up from the academy, working with senior staff on depth planning, and future-proofing squads for the next three to five years.
Over the last few months, I’ve also worked as the spin coach for the England Women U19s, and with the ECB as a Coach Developer delivering on Level 3 and Level 4 courses. Those experiences are great for my own development, and feel a long way from where I began my career in cricket.
I played cricket throughout the younger age groups and then for Kent Women, before professionalism in the game really developed. Alongside that, I always worked part-time as a coach. My actual career, though, was in teaching.
In 2022, with the regional setup in cricket expanding and more roles becoming available, I made the leap into full-time coaching. I started as a regional talent manager, leading the EPP squad and overseeing talent identification and talent development across Surrey and Kent before moving to my current role.
Women’s cricket is growing rapidly, and there are some brilliant people involved who don’t always get much support because they’re often volunteers and doing it out of passion rather than being paid.
Something like this conference can give people practical tips, but also help them realise they’re already doing great work. Even just the networking – meeting people, sharing ideas – is really valuable. I’m also looking forward to hearing from Ellie Threlkeld. She’s an incredible player and coach, and I’ve worked with her before, so I’m excited to see what she delivers.
Ready to find out more about creativity in coaching? Book your place today at The Metro Bank Girls in Cricket Fund Network Live 2026: Leading the Future of Women’s Cricket conference.