To celebrate International Women’s Day, we caught up with Welsh star Sophia Smale as she talks us through her meteoric rise in 2022 and her aspirations beyond.
A true all-rounder, the left-arm spinner and right-hand batter Smale has been a part of the Wales Women pathway from an early age.
She made her county debut in 2021 before being snapped up by the Western Storm academy after impressing with bat and ball for her country.
She made her debut for the first XI after being promoted to the senior squad in May of last year and was then drafted into the Oval Invincibles squad as an injury replacement, before playing every game of the tournament as the Invincibles went on to win the second edition of The Hundred.
In October of 2022, Smale was selected to be part of the England U19 Women’s squad for the Cricket World Cup, where she impressed taking nine wickets at an average of 9.62, as her side agonisingly lost in the Final to India.
Smale was thrilled with the start of her career but is keen to build on the strong foundations she has set.
“My start with Wales Women was massive,” said Smale.
“Aimee Rees has helped me throughout the years, from the age of eight to about 16 when I made my debut, it was amazing. I think it has definitely helped me grow into the Western Storm setup.
“The World Cup was amazing, it was a good experience on and off the pitch, obviously gutting the end result but the semi-final was amazing, and I think it has grown the game worldwide, so I am very happy with how it went.
“It’s been a crazy year, I started in the academy at Western Storm and went on tour with the Seniors in Desert Springs, did well and got my first call up for storm and I was absolutely buzzing.
“Then two weeks before The Hundred I got an unexpected call, which was crazy. I didn’t expect to play but managed to play every game.
“When I look back at it all and see the people that I managed to get out, it was just exceptional. It was obviously an amazing year but I have got to build on it for this year.”