Kelly Castle to captain Sunrisers in Charlotte Edwards Cup

Charlotte Edwards (CE) Cup, the regional T20 tournament, the club announced on Friday (June 25). She will take over from Amara Carr, who was to lead the team this season.

“I’m really excited to be given the opportunity to captain this team in a new format,” said Castle. “I’m looking forward to the challenge and for the team to showcase their skills in a completely new competition.”

The 23-year-old began the Rachael Heyhoe Flint (RHF) Trophy with a three-wicket haul against South East Stars, before adding three more wickets to her kitty in the four rounds so far. She also scored her maiden fifty in the last game against Lightning.

Castle has the experience of leading Essex in the domestic circuit since 2018. She has also achieved her Level 3 coaching qualification and is completing her Masters in Sport and Exercise Science. She is one of Sunrisers' five full time professionals.

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“At the start of a brand new competition, I’m delighted to announce Kelly as Sunrisers’ T20 captain for the 2021 campaign,” said Trevor Griffin, Head Coach of Sunrisers, before explaining the rationale behind the move.

“Kelly is a dedicated, passionate player who has a great connection with everyone in the squad and as captain she now has a great opportunity to lead from the front and inspire confidence to help the team perform at their best. She has grown hugely as a person and a player in the past twelve months and I’m really looking forward to helping her develop her leadership skills and all that the role encompasses.”

Sunrisers lost all four of their fixtures in the first half of the RHF Trophy and will begin their CE Trophy campaign with a fixture against Western Storm at the County Ground in Taunton on Saturday.