Jump to content

Sophia Smale

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sophia Smale
Smale fielding for Western Storm in May 2023
Personal information
Full name
Sophia Ann Elizabeth Smale
Born (2004-12-08) 8 December 2004 (age 19)
Newport, Wales
BattingRight-handed
BowlingSlow left-arm orthodox
RoleAll-rounder
RelationsWill Smale (brother)
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
2021–presentWales
2022–2024Western Storm
2022–presentOval Invincibles
Career statistics
Competition WLA WT20
Matches 32 59
Runs scored 550 180
Batting average 22.91 10.00
100s/50s 0/3 0/0
Top score 59 34
Balls bowled 1,450 1,060
Wickets 27 48
Bowling average 42.07 24.67
5 wickets in innings 0 0
10 wickets in match 0 0
Best bowling 4/34 3/15
Catches/stumpings 14/– 21/–
Source: CricketArchive, 19 October 2024

Sophia Ann Elizabeth Smale (born 8 December 2004) is a Welsh cricketer who currently plays for Wales and Oval Invincibles. She plays as a slow left-arm orthodox bowler and right-handed batter.[1][2]

Early life

[edit]

Smale was born on 8 December 2004 in Newport.[2] She attends Haberdashers' Monmouth School for Girls, and plays club cricket for Newport Cricket Club.[3][4] She has also played hockey for Wales at age group level.[5]

Domestic career

[edit]

Smale made her county debut in 2021, for Wales against Warwickshire in the Women's Twenty20 Cup.[6] She played four matches for the side in the competition, scoring 47 runs and taking 1 wicket.[7][8] She was ever-present for the side in the 2022 Women's Twenty20 Cup, playing 7 matches and taking 5 wickets.[9] She took three wickets in four matches in the 2023 Women's Twenty20 Cup.[10]

Smale was named in the Western Storm Academy squad for 2021.[11] She scored 83 from 77 balls in a 50-over match against North West Thunder Academy in June 2021.[12] She was again named in the Storm Academy for the 2022 season, but was promoted to the first team squad in May 2022.[13][14] She made her debut for the side on 18 May 2022, against Sunrisers in the Charlotte Edwards Cup.[15] She went on to play the rest of the Charlotte Edwards Cup campaign for the side, taking four wickets at an average of 28.00.[16] She was also ever-present for the side in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, taking two wickets, as well as scoring 133 runs at an average of 44.33.[17] She scored her maiden half-century during the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, scoring 59 against Northern Diamonds.[18]

In July 2022, Smale signed for Oval Invincibles for the 2022 season of The Hundred, as an injury replacement player for Emma Jones.[19] She played all seven matches for the side as they won the competition, and she was the side's joint-leading wicket-taker, with eight wickets at an average of 18.25.[20] During the tournament, she was named as the "summer's breakout star", citing her dismissals of players such as Alyssa Healy and Sophie Devine during The Hundred.[21] At the end of the 2022 season, it was announced that Smale had signed her first professional contract with Western Storm.[22]

In 2023, she played 19 matches for Western Storm, across the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and the Charlotte Edwards Cup, and was the side's second-highest wicket-taker in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, with 12 wickets at an average of 28.66.[23][24] She also scored one half-century, with 56 against North West Thunder.[25] She also played seven matches for Oval Invincibles in The Hundred, taking five wickets at an average of 21.60.[26] In 2024, she played 23 matches for Western Storm, across the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and the Charlotte Edwards Cup, scoring one half-century and taking 23 wickets.[27][28]

In October 2024, she signed for Essex Women ahead of the 2025 women's domestic cricket restructure.[29][30]

International career

[edit]

In October 2022, Smale was selected in the England Under-19 squad for the 2023 ICC Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup.[31] She took eight wickets at an average of 9.62 at the tournament, including best bowling figures of 3/11, taken against Ireland.[32][33]

Personal life

[edit]

Smale's brother Will is also a professional cricketer, currently playing for Glamorgan.[34]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Player Profile: Sophia Smale". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Player Profile: Sophia Smale". CricketArchive. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  3. ^ "Sophia takes a step closer to her cricketing dream". Girls' School Association. 22 February 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  4. ^ "Sophia Smale Selected in Western Storm Women's Academy". Newport Cricket Club. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  5. ^ "Hockey ace at Haberdashers' Monmouth named in Wales Under-18s girls' squad". Girls' School Association. 13 January 2022. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  6. ^ "Warwickshire Women v Wales Women, 25 April 2021". CricketArchive. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  7. ^ "Batting and Fielding for Wales Women/Vitality Women's County T20 2021". CricketArchive. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  8. ^ "Bowling for Wales Women/Vitality Women's County T20 2021". CricketArchive. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  9. ^ "Bowling for Wales Women/Vitality Women's County T20 2022". CricketArchive. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  10. ^ "Bowling for Wales Women/Vitality Women's County T20 2023". CricketArchive. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  11. ^ "Western Storm announce selections for Regional Academy Programme". Western Storm. 3 February 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  12. ^ "Western Storm Academy v Thunder Academy, 20 June 2021, Thornbury CC, Bristol". NV Play. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  13. ^ "Western Storm name 2022 Regional Academy players". Western Storm. 10 November 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  14. ^ "Western Storm Announce 2022 Squad". Western Storm. 11 May 2022. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  15. ^ "Group B (N), Chelmsford, May 18 2022, Charlotte Edwards Cup: Sunrisers v Western Storm". ESPNcricinfo. 18 May 2022. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  16. ^ "Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2022 - Western Storm/Batting and Bowling Averages". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  17. ^ "Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2022 - Western Storm/Batting and Bowling Averages". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  18. ^ "Hollie Armitage century sets up Diamonds for record-breaking victory". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  19. ^ "Nathan Ellis leads tranche of Hundred replacements". the Cricketer. 27 July 2022. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  20. ^ "Records/The Hundred Women's Competition, 2022 - Oval Invincibles (Women)/Batting and Bowling Averages". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  21. ^ "Meet Sophia Smale, the 17-year-old spinner making a name for herself". the Cricketer. 26 August 2022. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  22. ^ "Storm confirm 8 contracts". Western Storm. 7 November 2022. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  23. ^ "Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2023 - Western Storm/Batting and Bowling Averages". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  24. ^ "Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2023 - Western Storm/Batting and Bowling Averages". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  25. ^ "Threlkeld-Dattani union leads Thunder to victory over Storm". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  26. ^ "Records/The Hundred Women's Competition, 2023 - London Spirit (Women)/Batting and Bowling Averages". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  27. ^ "Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2024 - Western Storm/Batting and Bowling Averages". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  28. ^ "Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2024 - Western Storm/Batting and Bowling Averages". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  29. ^ "Essex Women announce new player signings". Essex County Cricket Club. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  30. ^ "Essex Women announce first professional players". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  31. ^ "England Women U19 announce squad for ICC U19 Women's T20 World Cup 2023". England and Wales Cricket Board. 18 October 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  32. ^ "Records/ICC Women's Under-19 T20 World Cup, 2022/23 - England Women/Batting and Bowling Averages". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  33. ^ "Super Six Group 2, Potchefstroom, January 21 2023, ICC Women's Under-19 T20 World Cup: England Women Under-19s v Ireland Women Under-19s". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  34. ^ "Sophia and Will Smale – Sister and Brother and Both Professional Cricketers". Glamorgan County Cricket Club. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://wiki.riteme.site/w/index.php?title=Sophia_Smale&oldid=1252989361"