All-rounder Castle to leave Essex Women

Kelly Castle first joined Essex aged 13 and took 81 wickets for the club

Essex all-rounder Kelly Castle is to leave the club following their first season as a fully professional women's team.

The 28-year-old, who was born in Southend-on-Sea, played 131 games in 14 years at Chelmsford.

She became the first player to sign a professional deal after the county were granted tier one status by the England and Wales Cricket Board, but did not appear in either the T20 Blast or One-Day Cup this summer.

She was previously a member of the Sunrisers regional side which won the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy in 2024.

"Although I won't be carrying on my cricketing journey with Essex, I want to thank everyone for the support over the years and I'm excited to start my next chapter," Castle said.

In 2022, Castle scored 176 in a 40-over Essex Women's Premier League game as she and Scarlett Hughes, who made 306, saw them to a score of 541-3 against Harold Wood.