Rowe back in the fold

Susie Rowe will be back playing for Kent Women’s team this summer.

The multi-talented former England Women international has re-joined the county having originally played for Kent from 2004 until 2012. During that time, the 32-year-old was a part of five County Championship titlewinning sides, in 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2012, as well as two Kent teams which won the National Women’s T20 competition in 2011 and 2012.

She is now player-coach of Maidstone Hockey Club women’s side after a spell at Sevenoaks.

Rowe, pictured above, said: “The profile of women’s cricket has massively grown in the past few years and it’s been fantastic to see. “With England’s Women’s World Cup win in 2017 and the introduction of the Women’s Hundred, it’s a great time to be involved with the sport and it’s a real motivator for women to get into cricket.”

Kent director of cricket Paul Downton said: “Susie’s achievements as a Kent Women player during her first spell here were remarkable.

“To play at international level and also win seven domestic trophies as a Kent player shows that Susie is a very talented cricketer, and she will be an asset to have amongst what is still a very young and talented group.” A right-handed batter, Rowe scored 1,262 runs at an average of 35.05 in 70 matches across both formats for Kent in her initial eightyear stint with the county.

■ Kent Women have also added England international Kirstie Gordon to their squad. The 22-year-old left-arm spinner has played for Nottinghamshire Women since 2016, taking six wickets in five Royal London County Championship matches last season and eight wickets in four National T20 matches. For the past two seasons she has also featured for the Loughborough Lightning in the Kia Super League (KSL.