Sue Redfern set to be first woman to umpire first-class match in England

Sue Redfern played six Tests and 15 one-dayers for England

Sue Redfern is set to become the first woman to umpire in first-class cricket in England after being named in the new Professional Umpires' Team.

Former England international Redfern, 44, is currently officiating at the Women's World Cup in New Zealand.

Last year she became the first female to officiate in an England men's home international, when she was fourth umpire for a T20 against Sri Lanka.

The Professional Umpires' Team replaces the first-class panel of umpires.

It is being established after the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) carried out a review into how best to attract and appoint umpires from all backgrounds.

In November 2020, former umpires John Holder and Ismail Dawood accused the ECB of institutional racism, pointing to the fact the last umpire from a black or ethnic minority background to be appointed to the first-class panel was Vanburn Holder in 1992.

Joining the Professional Umpires' Team along with Redfern are former Worcestershire seamer Jack Shantry and ex-Pakistan international Naeem Ashraf, who is an official in Lancashire.

Surendiran Shanmugam of Northamptonshire and Anthony Harris from Shropshire are also included.

Members of the Professional Umpires' Team can stand in men's and women's professional domestic cricket in England and Wales.

The new appointments will be able to concentrate full-time on their umpiring careers and are likely to start by standing in county second XI fixtures.

It is thought there are four women who have presided over men's first-class matches as on-field umpires.

New Zealander Pat Carrick did so between 1987 and 1990. Current officials Jacqueline Williams and Lauren Agenbag officiate in West Indies and South Africa respectively, and are also both at the Women's World Cup. Mary Waldron stood in a match in Ireland in 2019.

Redfern, a former bowler who played six Tests and 15 one-day internationals for England, said: "The most significant aspect of this opportunity for me is that, for the first time, I can focus all my energy on umpiring as a career. This is my first full-time contract as an umpire.

"There will undoubtedly be new challenges I will face in this role, ones I am really excited about facing and helping me to develop as both an individual and as an umpire."