Bess Heath, a rising star in England’s women’s cricket, has inked a three-year contract with Durham, positioning her as a key player for the Tier 1 team based at Chester-le-Street. This team will take over from the current Northern Diamonds in the newly restructured women’s county competition set to begin in 2025.
At just 22 years old, Heath has already accumulated over 3000 runs across all formats since her professional debut four years ago. She made her first of five appearances for England against Sri Lanka last year. Heath's cricket journey, which started in Derbyshire's youth ranks, has also seen her play for Brisbane Heat, Northern Superchargers, Melbourne Stars, and Yorkshire.
Heath’s tenure with Northern Diamonds saw her reach the final of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy in her debut season in 2020 and go on to win the title two years later. Last summer, her impressive 286 runs in the same competition earned her a nomination for the PCA Women’s Young Player of the Year award.
Her commitment to Durham comes as the Northern Diamonds undergo significant changes, with the team’s base moving from Headingley to Chester-le-Street. While Heath has chosen to join Durham, her teammate and fellow wicketkeeper Lauren Winfield-Hill is expected to stay loyal to Yorkshire, despite their Tier 2 status next summer.
Expressing her enthusiasm for the move, Heath mentioned her eagerness to start the new chapter in the North East and contribute to Durham’s future success. She highlighted the opportunity to create new history with the team as a major motivation for her decision.
Marcus North, Director of Cricket at Durham, praised Heath as one of England's most promising young talents. He noted the wealth of experience she brings to the team, despite her young age, and expressed excitement about her potential to earn more England caps while thriving at Durham.
In other news, David Ripley has been appointed as the Head Coach for Northamptonshire's Women’s team, set to compete in Tier 2 next season. Ripley, who previously led Northamptonshire’s men to two T20 Blast titles and secured promotions to the County Championship Division One, is widely regarded as the club’s most successful coach.
Ripley will officially begin his new role in February 2025, just in time for Northamptonshire’s inaugural Tier 2 season, which will also feature teams from Derbyshire, Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Kent, Leicestershire, Middlesex, Sussex, Worcestershire, and Yorkshire.
Expressing his excitement about the new role, Ripley mentioned his anticipation for the upcoming season and his commitment to developing both a competitive senior team and nurturing young talents into future professional players, in collaboration with the pathway coaches.