As England’s women’s team looks to regain The Ashes this summer, Jeremy Blackmore sits down with former international cricketer and Western Storm batter, Fran Wilson, to talk about inspiring the next generation…
England World Cup winner Fran Wilson is revelling in the opportunity to inspire young professional players at Western Storm, a side at the heart of a growing professionalism in women’s domestic cricket in England. Wilson, who was part of the England team that triumphed against India at Lord’s in 2017, returned to her West Country roots last year as one of the senior members of the Storm squad, which plays its home matches at Bristol and Taunton.
Western Storm is one of eight regional women’s teams offering year-round world-class training, coaching and opportunities to play in exciting domestic competitions. Created in 2020, this new structure aims to develop the country’s most talented female players and drive the performance of the England Women’s national team. With increased funding from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), Storm started this season with 10 full-time pros for the first time.
Wilson said: “It’s incredible to think we’ve now got 80 pros across the domestic women’s game. We’ve always had a lot of depth in cricket in this country and it’s really good all those girls can have that opportunity to train and improve their game.
“It’s really noticeable how much people have come on in the last four years. The gap is closing between the players now. It’s as a result of working all year round, being able to train with some of the best coaches and just playing competitive cricket all the time.”
“When the England girls come back into the domestic setup, there’s not a huge gap and they’re really under pressure. It’s testament to the setup we’ve created. There’s still a long way to go, especially in terms of infrastructure around the teams, but in terms of the players being produced, it’s really exciting.”
This summer’s Ashes series – which features games in Bristol and Taunton – provides a chance to see several of these young players on the national stage. Indeed, Western Storm’s Bristol-born fast bowler Lauren Filer, 22, made an immediate impression on her England debut in last month’s (June) Ashes Test Match at Trent Bridge. Filer, who grew up playing for Weston-super-Mare CC, bowled with real pace to pick up two key wickets on the opening day. Meanwhile Storm’s vice-captain Dani Gibson was also named in the 15-strong squad for the match.
Australia’s Women have long dominated international cricket. Reflecting on the difference between the two nations in recent years, Wilson says: “A big thing is learning how to play under pressure, and pressure games becoming the norm. You see that in Australia. I think that’s the reason why they’re so good. It’s because they’ve been playing pressure cricket from pretty much the day they’re born. It’s really nice to see that happening in our game now as well.”
England’s national side became professional for the first time in 2014 with Wilson given her first central contract the following year. Outside of that elite group, opportunities to forge a career in the game were extremely limited with players forced to juggle matches and training around jobs or studies.
The ECB created the yearly, month-long Kia Super League (KSL) in 2016 to produce an exciting, fast-paced women’s domestic competition at the height of summer. It aimed to bridge that gap between county and international cricket, bringing together the world’s best female cricketers with the best local domestic talent. Western Storm was formed initially as one of six elite teams in the KSL under the captaincy of England skipper Heather Knight, with Wilson also a member of the squad. Storm enjoyed great success over the next four years, finishing runners-up in 2016 before lifting the trophy twice in 2017 and 2019.
It’s so exciting. Young players bring a different kind of energy, they bring a freshness to everything
With women’s cricket entering its new chapter in 2020, Somerset, Gloucestershire and Glamorgan county cricket clubs joined forces and formally set up Western Storm Ltd as part of the new eight-team regional model. Matches got underway behind closed doors during the pandemic with more games being played this summer than ever before.
Knight is still part of the Western Storm set-up and available when she is not on England duty, but the side is now led by former England Schoolgirls and England Academy captain Sophie Luff. The remainder of the squad is largely made up of younger, less experienced players, but that brings its own excitement, argues Wilson.
“We’ve got a young squad, definitely. Most of the players are around 22, which is almost 10 years younger than me. I do feel like a mum sometimes! But it’s a role I really like, helping the younger ones come on.
“Then at the same time, it’s really refreshing to have the likes of Heather come back in. Sophie was injured recently, so to have her coming back as well, it increases that experience level, which has a huge impact.
“But it’s so exciting. Young players bring a different kind of energy, they bring a freshness to everything.”
While Storm want to win every game, Wilson says there is an understanding that results will vary as the youngsters gain experience.
“Having said that, we’re going all out. We’d love to win trophies as soon as possible. What we’re trying to create is long-term success. That doesn’t happen overnight.
“This year it feels like we’re building something really special in how we go about things and how we play. In the long run, that will put us in a really good place in terms of winning trophies.”
Cheltenham-born all-rounder Gibson won her England call-up having been a travelling reserve for England’s T20 World Cup campaign in the winter. Ahead of the Ashes, England head coach Jon Lewis described her as one of the best form cricketers in the country, a dynamic player who can change the momentum of a game. Gibson herself has said the extra responsibility of the vice-captaincy this year has helped her game develop, particularly her tactical awareness, something with which Wilson agrees.
“Dani’s been brilliant. It was a fantastic move, giving her that leadership opportunity. What I really like about Dani’s leadership is she just backs herself so much. She’s got so much confidence in her ability. It’s infectious on the rest of the group. It almost gives me confidence because if she thinks she can do this, I can definitely do it. That’s a really good quality to have in a captain.”
Wilson grew up in Malmesbury and played her early cricket in Bath. She played for Somerset Women for several years followed by stints with Middlesex and Kent before the new regional teams were introduced, giving her the chance to continue playing professionally after her international retirement.
“I stopped playing for England to play in the domestic setup,” she says. “I wasn’t getting what I wanted back from the England stuff in terms of playing and opportunity. So, it was amazing for me to be able to step back into the domestic game, bat in the top order and have lots of leadership opportunities at Western Storm.
“It’s different to international cricket, but amazing in its own way, living at home and having that home/life balance is a bit better than being an international cricketer sometimes. I’m back in the West Country where I belong. It’s definitely home for me and somewhere I love playing cricket.”
“I had the most amazing ten years with England, travelling the world with my best friends. Obviously, winning a World Cup was a real special memory and I think about all the key performances and moments I had. But it’s all the people you meet along the way, which is the most memorable thing.”
Wilson, who will also feature for Cardiff-based Welsh Fire in August’s high-profile The Hundred tournament, says playing domestic cricket has allowed more time to pursue her interest in life-skills coaching. She has taken up a new role with Bristol Bears women’s rugby team as Performance Lifestyle Practitioner, supporting the players and encouraging their development as people as well as athletes.
“It’s such a rewarding job. It’s a brilliant setup up there, rubbing shoulders with other international athletes as well as amazing support staff, the men’s side as well. It’s a brilliant brand and they’re leading the way in terms of sport in general.
“I’ve been playing cricket a long time. Your focus does change.
I still love playing, but the reason I love playing is probably more from a leadership role and from inspiring others to play and grow in the game. It’s amazing to be able to do that in my home region.”
England will play two Ashes fixtures against Australia in the South West this summer with one-day internationals on:
Wednesday 12 July – Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol
Tuesday 18 July – Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton
Speaking about the fixtures, England captain Heather Knight said: “Playing in the South West is always special from a personal perspective. Both Gloucestershire CCC and Somerset CCC were a big part of my development growing up. The region is a real cricket hotbed, which has given us tremendous support with fans turning up in their numbers. We’re really looking forward to playing at Bristol and Taunton in what will be an exciting Ashes series.”
