Lauren Winfield-Hill Signs with Queensland for WNCL

England batter Lauren Winfield-Hill has signed a contract with Queensland to play in Australia's Women's National Cricket League (WNCL) next summer. The 33-year-old, who has played in nine matches for Queensland in the past, will join the team after the conclusion of the English domestic season.

Winfield-Hill's decision to join Queensland comes after she expressed concerns about the England and Wales Cricket Board's (ECB) decision to defer Yorkshire's entry into Tier 1 of the new women's domestic competition. She described the move as "unsettling" for her Northern Diamonds team.

Winfield-Hill is based in Brisbane during the Australian summer as she is married to former Queensland and Brisbane Heat pace bowler Courtney Winfield-Hill. She has been a consistent performer for Queensland in the past, scoring 194 runs at an average of 32.33 last season, including a half-century in the final.

Queensland have also added four teenagers to their squad for the upcoming season: Sienna Eve, Elsa Hunter, Lauren Kua, and Kate Pelle. Eve and Hunter are both all-rounders, while Kua is a wicketkeeper-batter and Pelle is a batter.

New South Wales have also announced their female contract list for the 2024-25 season. The Blues have added four teenagers to their squad: Eve, Hunter, Kua, and Pelle. They have also released Scotland international Saskia Horley, who has moved permanently to the UK.

The WNCL is Australia's premier domestic women's cricket competition. It is contested by eight teams from around the country. The competition will be played from October 2024 to March 2025.

Tags: #LaurenWinfieldHill, #Queensland, #WNCL, #Cricket, #England