Essex Women announce first professional players

England Under-19 player Sophia Smale represents Oval Invincibles in The Hundred

Essex Women have announced the first group of players to sign professional contracts ahead of their inaugural season.

Welsh left-arm spinner Sophia Smale, wicketkeeper-batter Amara Carr, Scotland international leg-spinner Abtaha Maqsood and top-order batter Cordelia Griffith are the latest to sign deals for 2025.

They join seam bowler Kelly Castle, batter/off-spinner Jo Gardner, all-rounder Eva Gray and white-ball specialist seamer Sophie Munro in being founding players.

Essex Women’s team director, Andy Tennant says it is an "exciting new chapter" for the club.

“These players represent the future of Essex Cricket, and I’m incredibly proud of the talent we’ve assembled," said Tennant.

"I’ve been lucky enough to work closely and achieve success with most of the group last season, and we’ve built a strong foundation to compete at the highest level and inspire the next generation of cricketers.”

The player contract news follows the appointment of Danni Warren as the team’s performance director.