Linsey Smith

Linsey Claire Neale Smith (born 10 March 1995) is an English cricketer who plays for Sussex, Southern Vipers, Northern Superchargers and Sydney Sixers.^[1] A slow left-arm orthodox bowler, she originally played for Berkshire before moving to Sussex ahead of the 2017 season. In October 2018, she was named in the England women's cricket team squad for the 2018 ICC Women's World Twenty20 tournament, and made her Women's Twenty20 International cricket (WT20I) debut in the tournament against Bangladesh.^[2][3]

Linsey Smith

Personal information
Full name	Linsey Claire Neale Smith
Born	(1995-03-10) 10 March 1995 (age 29) Hillingdon, Greater London, England
Batting	Left-handed
Bowling	Slow left-arm orthodox
Role	Bowler
International information
National side	England
T20I debut (cap 47)	12 November 2018 v Bangladesh
Last T20I	21 June 2019 v West Indies
Domestic team information
Years	Team
2011–2016	Berkshire
2016–2017	Southern Vipers
2017–present	Sussex
2018	Loughborough Lightning
2019	Yorkshire Diamonds
2020–2022	Northern Diamonds
2021–present	Northern Superchargers
2021/22	Melbourne Stars
2022/23–2023/24	Otago
2023–present	Southern Vipers
2023/24–present	Sydney Sixers
Career statistics
Competition WT20I WLA WT20 Matches 9 81 169 Runs scored – 702 480 Batting average – 13.50 9.60 100s/50s – 0/1 0/0 Top score – 51 34 Balls bowled 186 4,081 3,395 Wickets 13 98 157 Bowling average 14.46 22.17 20.10 5 wickets in innings 0 2 0 10 wickets in match 0 0 0 Best bowling 3/18 5/34 4/10 Catches/stumpings 0/– 18/– 39/–
Source: CricketArchive, 18 December 2023

Early life

Smith was born on 10 March 1995 in Hillingdon, Greater London.^[1] She attended Loughborough University.^[4]

Domestic career

Smith made her List A debut in the 2011 Super Fours competition, playing for Rubies against Sapphires, in which she bowled five overs and conceded just five runs.^[5] Just over two weeks later she made her county debut, for Berkshire against Middlesex in the 2011 Women's County Championship, in which she returned figures of 0/45 from her 10 overs.^[6] Smith quickly became a regular in Berkshire's team, and took her maiden five-for the following season in a match against Somerset.^[7] In the 2015 Women's County Championship, she was her side's leading wicket-taker.^[8]

Smith was selected for the Southern Vipers squad in the 2016 Women's Cricket Super League as an injury replacement player.^[9] She took four wickets in her second match, against Yorkshire Diamonds, and went on to take 8 wickets in 5 games at the best bowling average in the tournament, 11.50.^[10][11] On the back of her success in the Super League, Smith signed for Sussex in early 2017.^[12]

Having won the Women's Cricket Super League with the Vipers in 2016, Smith went on to play for the runners-up in the next two seasons, for the Vipers in 2017 and for Loughborough Lightning in 2018.^[13] She played for Yorkshire Diamonds in 2019, taking 8 wickets at 32.50.^[14] Meanwhile, at county level, Smith took 7 wickets in Sussex's 2018 Women's County Championship Division Two winning season.^[15]

In 2020, Smith played four matches, including the final, in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for Northern Diamonds.^[16] She took four wickets at an average of 25.50.^[17] In 2021, she took 12 wickets for the side in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 10 wickets in the Charlotte Edwards Cup and 9 wickets for Northern Superchargers in The Hundred.^[18][19][20] She also achieved her List A best bowling figures, taking 5/34 against Western Storm.^[21]

In October 2021, it was announced that Smith had signed for Melbourne Stars for the upcoming 2021–22 Women's Big Bash League season.^[22] In April 2022, she was bought by the Northern Superchargers for the 2022 season of The Hundred.^[23] She was the joint-leading wicket-taker in the 2022 Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, with 13 wickets at an average of 18.07.^[24] At the end of the 2022 season, it was announced that Smith had left Northern Diamonds, re-joining Southern Vipers.^[25]

In January 2023, Smith signed for Otago Sparks for the remainder of the Super Smash, playing four matches for the side.^[26][27] In 2023, for Southern Vipers she was the third-highest wicket-taker in the Charlotte Edwards Cup and the fifth-highest wicket-taker in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, with 13 and 19 wickets respectively.^[28][29] She also took nine wickets at an average of 15.88 in seven matches for Northern Superchargers in The Hundred.^[30] In October 2023, it was announced that Smith had signed for Sydney Sixers for the upcoming Women's Big Bash League season.^[31] She took 11 wickets in her 11 matches for the side, with an economy of 6.42.^[32]

International career

In October 2018, Smith was named in the England squad for their upcoming 2018 ICC Women's World Twenty20 campaign.^[2] She made her debut in England's second game of the tournament, against Bangladesh, and took 1/17 from four overs, having Sanjida Islam caught to claim her maiden international wicket.^[3] She played one more match in the tournament, against South Africa, where she again took one wicket.^[33]

In February 2019, Smith was awarded a rookie contract by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for 2019, as well as being named as part of the squad for England's tours of India and Sri Lanka.^[34][35] Smith took 5 wickets at 10.60 in the three T20Is against India and took 4 wickets at 17.50 in the three T20Is against Sri Lanka.^[36][37] Smith played one match the following summer, taking 2/22 against the West Indies.^[38]

On 18 June 2020, Smith was named in a squad of 24 players to begin training ahead of international women's fixtures starting in England following the COVID-19 pandemic, but did not play a match that summer.^[39][40][13]

References

1. "Linsey Smith". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
2. "England name Women's World T20 squad". England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
3. "7th Match, Group A (D/N), ICC Women's World T20 at Gros Islet, Nov 12 2018". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
4. "Students and alumnae named in Women's World Twenty20 squad". Loughborough University. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
5. "Rubies v Sapphires, 14 May 2011". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
6. "Middlesex Women v Berkshire Women, 29 May 2011". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
7. "Somerset Women v Berkshire Women 22 July 2012". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
8. "Royal London One-Day Cup 2015/Berkshire Women Bowling". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
9. "'My parents were going to watch the men's Tests in Sri Lanka!' - Linsey Smith on WWT20 call-up". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
10. "Southern Vipers v Yorkshire Diamonds, 8 August 2016". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
11. "Kia Super League 2016 Bowling by Average". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
12. "Sussex Women sign Linsey Smith from Berkshire". Cricket Archive. 12 April 2017. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
13. "Linsey Smith T20 Matches". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
14. "Kia Super League 2019/Yorkshire Diamonds Bowling". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
15. "Royal London One-Day Cup 2018/Sussex Women Bowling". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
16. "Linsey Smith List A Matches". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
17. "Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2020/Northern Diamonds Bowling". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
18. "Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2021 - Northern Diamonds/Batting and Bowling Averages". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
19. "Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2021 - Northern Diamonds/Batting and Bowling Averages". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
20. "Records/The Hundred Women's Competition, 2021 - Northern Superchargers (Women)/Batting and Bowling Averages". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
21. "Linsey Smith five-for delivers Diamonds victory over Western Storm". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
22. "Stars Add More Firepower". Melbourne Stars. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
23. "The Hundred 2022: latest squads as Draft picks revealed". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
24. "Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2022/Most Wickets". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
25. "Southern Vipers Sign Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy Winner Linsey Smith". The Ageas Bowl. 2 November 2022. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
26. "Sparks Sign Imports to Offset Loss of White Ferns". Otago Cricket. 24 January 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
27. "Records/Women's Super Smash, 2022/23 - Otago Women/Batting and Bowling Averages". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
28. "Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2023 - Southern Vipers/Batting and Bowling Averages". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
29. "Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2023 - Southern Vipers/Batting and Bowling Averages". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
30. "Records/The Hundred Women's Competition, 2023 - Northern Superchargers (Women)/Batting and Bowling Averages". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
31. "Sydney Sixers Secure English Spinner Ahead of Season Opener". Sydney Sixers. 18 October 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
32. "Records in Women's Big Bash League, 2023/24 / Sydney Sixers Women Batting and Bowling Averages". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
33. "15th Match, Group A (D/N), ICC Women's World T20 at Gros Islet, Nov 16 2018". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
34. "England Women name squads for India and Sri Lanka". England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
35. "Freya Davies awarded England Women contract ahead of India tour". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
36. "England Women in India 2018/19/England Women Bowling". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
37. "England Women in Sri Lanka 2018/19/England Women Bowling". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
38. "2nd T20I, West Indies Women tour of England and Ireland, Jun 21 2019". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
39. "England Women confirm back to training plans". England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
40. "England Women return to training with September tri-series on the cards". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 18 June 2020.

External links

• Linsey Smith at ESPNcricinfo
• Linsey Smith at CricketArchive (subscription required)