Cricket East

Katherine Speed first came into the Huntingdonshire Girls system in 2012 as an U10 with huge potential. With no U11s team in Huntingdonshire at the time, she played U13s Cricket for the County taking her first wicket and scoring her first runs against Surrey.

In 4 years with Huntingdonshire, Katherine shone with both bat and ball despite playing up the age groups from the start. In total she claimed 48 wickets and scored 1,202 runs, recording eight 50s and one 100 – a superb 100 not out against Bedfordshire.

In September 2014, she joined the Huntingdonshire Emerging Player Programme (EPP) as one of their first girls on the Programme set up by then Head Coach Dave Summers, who had developed the girls’ link originally with Essex County Cricket Club. She then linked in with Essex permanently from 2016.

Katherine has continued to make huge strides, starring for both the Essex Age Group teams and senior Women’s Team and well as on the Surrey Stars RDC squad.

Alicia Presland first came to the attention of coach Steve Brown when she was playing in the youth section at Eaton Socon CC, aged around 8 years. She was obviously going to be a good player even at that young age.

Her ability led to her being a shoe-in in the Hunts County age group teams from U11s upwards. She developed into an aggressive attacking batsman and fast bowler. The highlight of her age group county career was probably playing in a very talented Hunts U15 Girls team that won the National U15 Development trophy in 2013 at Moseley.

Having outgrown CAG cricket Alicia now plays for the Northamptonshire County Women's team. Her contributions helped the team to promotion from ECB Div 3 in both the 50 over and T20 format of the game in 2017, her first season, becoming top run-scorer in the shorter form of the game. In the more demanding Div 2 in 2018 Alicia continued to contribute in both disciplines and her performances have earned her an opportunity to take her game to the next level by securing a place on the Loughborough Lightning RDC.

Shaftab Khalid, Performance Lead (Hunts & Beds) said: “This is fantastic news for both girls and indeed Huntingdonshire. Both girls have worked very hard at their games and we wish them all the very best for their future cricketing careers. We will be looking out for them both on the TV very soon!”

The EPP is an ECB initiative, locally organised that supports players, girls and boys, who have the necessary aptitude, attitude, desire and athleticism to be potential future elite players. The key aim of the Regional Development Centre programmes across the country is to provide further elite cricketing development opportunities to female players that have the perceived potential to be selected into the England Women’s Academy programme.

Pictured: Katherine Speed