May 4, 2024
The Spanish Women’s national team head to Italy next weekend for a T10 series with their Mediterranean counterparts.
The Spaniards will have a bit of a new look about them as the previous coach Neil Brook has accepted the Regional Development Manager’s role within Cricket España, and the regular team captain Elspeth Fowler is unavailable because of previously agreed commitments.
Consequently, Molly Sellars will step into the coaching role, and she will be assisted by Cath Moretti, Marisol Carrera and Lewis Clark.
Molly has strong links with Spanish cricket, frequently turning out for Ibiza CricketClub in either a playing or coaching capacity. In the past she has played several games for Surrey women including a match at the Oval in 2018 against an aboriginal XI that included Australian international Ashleigh Gardener as the opposition’s captain.
Cath is a regular at the Cartama Oval, and her zest and passion for the game is highlighted by the fact that she has built a practice net in her back garden.
On hearing of her appointment she said “Cricket España has provided me with some fantastic opportunities, from being Events manager at a T20 World Cup Europe qualifier in Desert Springs to helping out last year with the Women’s team.
Our upcoming tour to Italy will be my first official tournament as the assistant coach to a team of immensely talented young women. I am very enthusiastic about women’s cricket and I am looking forward to watching and being part of their continuing growth and development.”
Marisol Brown-Carrera continues in her natural fit as the team manager, and Lewis will be there in a consultancy capacity as an analyst.
The team itself boasts two new debutants. Saskia Payne from Murcia will be vying for a starting position behind the stumps, and youngster Deepa Chukkapalli ,who is on Lancashire’s books, will be a likely starter, spearheading the bowling attack.
Other UK players Amy Brown-Carrera, Andrea Davidson-Soler and Naomi Hillman-Bermejo also make the trip as do the Madrid trio of Payal Chillonga and the Zamorano-Molina sisters Julia and Maria.
The Cataluyna contingent remains as healthy as ever with the all-rounder Uswa Syedin solid form after consecutive back to back half centuries recently for Murcia Cobras in the newly established Women’s national league.
Her Barcelona based colleagues of Samaia Basharat, Aneesa Azmet, Rabia Mushtaq, Memoona Riaz Queresh and Tasbiha Mirza are also on the plane to Bergamo. The games will take place on May 11th and 12th and the European Cricket Network will livestream all the matches that will also include a Men’s series between the two countries.
