Wales Women players Claire Thomas and Lauren Parfitt have been selected in the Western Storm squad alongside World Cup winners Heather Knight and Anya Shrubsole for this year\'s Kia Super League.
After defeating India in front of a full house at Lord’s on Sunday, England’s World Cup winners led by former Crimson cap Heather Knight will turn their attention to domestic rivalries as they prepare for the second edition of the Kia Super League in two weeks’ time.
In the build-up to the tournament, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have confirmed the full squads for the Kia Super League, which will feature all of England’s World Cup winners playing across the six Kia Super League teams.
India’s ICC Women’s World Cup superstar Harmanpreet Kaur will become the first Indian international to feature in the tournament after signing for Surrey Stars, whilst New Zealand seamer Holly Huddleston will line up with England skipper Heather Knight at Western Storm, along with the hero from the Lord's final Anya Shrubsole and two of Wales' finest Claire Thomas (Dafen) and Glamorgan development player Lauren Parfitt (Newport).
Eight games will be shown live on Sky for the first time with enhanced coverage from BBC Test Match Special
Beth Mooney (Yorkshire Diamonds) and Dane van Niekerk (Southern Vipers) have withdrawn through injury and their replacements will be announced in due course.
The Kia Super League will again see the world’s best compete against each other as Charlotte Edwards’ Southern Vipers attempt to defend their title.
The six teams will compete in a round-robin competition at 12 different venues from Thursday 10 August to Saturday 26 August. The Kia Super League will culminate with a showcase finals day on Friday 1 September at the 1st Central County Ground in Hove.
ECB Director of England Women’s Cricket Clare Connor said:
“After the incredible drama and excitement of the ICC Women's World Cup, we're all set for the second year of the Kia Super League to be the next stage of a transformational summer for women’s cricket in this country.
“Attendances at last year's KSL surpassed our expectations and the standard of cricket was extremely high. I'm sure we'll see even larger crowds and yet more stunning performances when the competition gets underway on 10 August.
“We’ve continued to attract high profile international players to bolster the quality and intensity of the competition and I know everyone will be excited to see world class stars like Harmanpreet Kaur and Ellyse Perry in action after their World Cup performances.
“It’s also vitally important that this competition continues to provide opportunities for our most talented young players to test themselves against the best in the world and to press their claims for future England selection."
Tickets are available to purchase via ecb.co.uk/kiasuperleague
Full Western Storm Squad list:
Heather Knight (C)
Anya Shrubsole
Fran Wilson
Holly Huddleston (NZ)
Stafanie Taylor
Rachel Priest
Georgia Hennessy
Sophie Luff
Freya Davies
Danielle Gibson
Claire Thomas
Lauren Parfitt
Jodie Dibble
Amara Carr
Alice MacDonald