Middlesex's Fran Wilson handed England central contract
Tuesday 15 December 2015 12:39, UK
Middlesex's Fran Wilson has been rewarded for her fine form over the summer with an England Women's central contract for the 2016-17 season.
Over a two-month period last summer, Wilson averaged 60 for her county with the bat and 50 for the England Academy side against Australia.
The 24-year-old right-hander was called up to the full squad for the one-off Test during the Women's Ashes and has now become the 19th player from the England Women's Performance Programme to be awarded a central contract.
ECB director of England Women's cricket, Clare Connor, said: "We congratulate Fran Wilson on being awarded a central contract for the first time. She scored significant runs throughout the summer and has been a dedicated member of the England Women's Performance squad during the past 18 months. She thoroughly deserves to be awarded a central contract.
"The women's game continues to develop and move forward at an extraordinary pace and today's announcement confirms professional cricket to be an attractive career choice for talented female athletes.
"Next year will be the busiest-ever 12 months for England women under newly appointed head coach, Mark Robinson, with overseas tours to South Africa, West Indies and Sri Lanka, the ICC World Twenty20 in India, plus a home series against Pakistan. The awarding of central contracts ensures that the squad will be as best prepared and supported as possible for each of those contests."
England Women are next in action in February when they travel to South Africa to play a three-match one-day international series and a three-match Twenty20 international series.
2016-17 central contracts:
Tamsin Beaumont (Kent), Katherine Brunt (Yorkshire), Kathryn Cross (Lancashire), Charlotte Edwards (Kent), Georgia Elwiss (Sussex), Natasha Farrant (Kent), Lydia Greenway (Kent), Rebecca Grundy (Warwickshire), Jenny Gunn (Nottinghamshire), Danielle Hazell (Yorkshire), Amy Jones (Warwickshire), Heather Knight (Berkshire), Laura Marsh (Kent), Natalie Sciver (Surrey), Anya Shrubsole (Somerset), Sarah Taylor (Sussex), Lauren Winfield (Yorkshire), Fran Wilson (Somerset), Danielle Wyatt (Nottinghamshire).
