Anya Shrubsole

She is the daughter of Ian Shrubsole, who made two Minor Counties appearances for Wiltshire in the early 1990s.

Anya Shrubsole (born 7 December 1991) is an English former cricketer who played as a right-arm medium pace bowler and right-handed lower-order batter.

Though she only played three of Somerset's five fixtures in the 2004 competition, Shrubsole finished with the county's second-best bowling average, her five wickets in the competition coming at an average of 11.20.

In 2005 Shrubsole made her first appearance in the Super Fours – a competition in which the England selectors place the 48 leading players into four teams – playing one Twenty20 for the Braves.

Shrubsole remained 16 not out at the close of the Braves innings, and claimed two wickets in the following innings as the V Team won by four wickets.

Her performances in the County Championship brought her fewer wickets than in the previous season, the young bowler claiming two in the competition.

In contrast, she improved significantly on her highest batting total, posting a score of 41 not out during a big victory over Surrey in July.

The following season saw Shrubsole begin the season playing as a specialist batter.

She did not bowl until her sixth match of the season.

She continued to bowl infrequently through the season and, despite playing all six County Championship matches for Somerset, only bowled 131 balls, 133 fewer than fellow medium-pace bowler Hannah Lloyd.

Her batting during the season saw her finish as Somerset's second-highest run-scorer with 127 runs.

Her performances in the Super Fours were less impressive: in three 50-over and two 20-over contests, she scored seven runs and did not claim a wicket.

After the close of the English women's domestic season, Shrubsole appeared for the MCC's women's side against the touring Indians in a Twenty20.

In 2021, she was drafted by Southern Brave for the inaugural season of The Hundred.

In April 2022, it was announced that Shrubsole had signed for Southern Vipers in a player-coach role.

She played six matches for the Vipers in 2022, all in the Charlotte Edwards Cup, taking four wickets.

Shrubsole's first match of the 2007 season brought her best career bowling return in women's List A cricket.

With Somerset defending 206, she opened the bowling for her county, claiming seven wickets – including those of Surrey's top six batters.

After her strong start to the season, Shrubsole only managed one more wicket in the Championship, in Somerset's second match, against Berkshire.

Her eight wickets were still enough for her to finish second among Somerset wicket-takers in 2007.

The Rubies won all six matches in the Super Fours, during which Shrubsole claimed two wickets, though her bowling was expensive: her Economy of 4.21 was the worst on the team.

Despite this, Shrubsole opened the bowling for an ECB Women's Invitation XI in a Twenty20 match against England.

Shrubsole played two matches for the England Development Squad against the touring South Africans in early August 2007, claiming a wicket in each match to help the English side win them both.

She then travelled with the Development Squad to compete in the 2007 Women's European Championship, playing all three of England's matches as they remained undefeated to win the tournament.

She played for England between 2008 and 2022, and played domestic cricket for Somerset, Berkshire, Western Storm, Southern Vipers, Southern Brave and Perth Scorchers.

She made her England debut in 2008, and was Player of the Match in the 2017 Women's Cricket World Cup Final.

Shrubsole made her ODI debut against South Africa on 14 August 2008.

Opening the bowling, she took the wicket of Marcia Letsoalo as England recorded a comfortable victory.

Nine days later, Shrubsole took three wickets on her Twenty20 International debut against South Africa, and was subsequently named player of the match.

She won the Most Promising Young Women's Cricketer Award at the end of the 2008 season, and was called up to England's squad for the 2009 Women's Cricket World Cup.

Her sister Lauren played county cricket for Somerset Women between 2010 and 2016.

Although she played youth cricket for Somerset, appearing in both the Under-15 and Under-17 Women's County Championships, Shrubsole made her first-team debut for the county at the age of 12.

Facing Berkshire in the Women's County Championship, Shrubsole claimed two wickets in her six overs after opening the bowling alongside Steph Davies, helping Somerset to a four-wicket victory.

She scored her first runs in women's List A cricket in the following match, remaining ten not out against Staffordshire.

She took a career-best 5 for 11 in the first T20 international against New Zealand in February 2012.

She is the holder of one of the first tranche of 18 ECB central contracts for women players, which were announced in April 2014.

In 2018, she became the first woman to appear on the cover of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack.

In April 2022, Shrubsole announced her retirement from international cricket.

In June 2023, she announced her intention to retire from all forms of cricket after the 2023 season of The Hundred.

Anya Shrubsole was born in Bath, Somerset and attended St Stephen's Primary School and later Hayesfield Girls' School.