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Sophia Smale

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]

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

Early life

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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

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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

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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

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

References

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  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.
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