Kate Cross

For the American social leader, see Kate Smeed Cross. For the author, see Kate Locke.

Kate Cross

Personal information
Full name	Kathryn Laura Cross
Born	(1991-10-03) 3 October 1991 (age 33) Manchester, England
Nickname	Crossy
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm medium-fast
Role	Bowler
International information
National side	England (2013–present)
Test debut (cap 152)	10 January 2014 v Australia
Last Test	14 December 2023 v India
ODI debut (cap 124)	29 October 2013 v West Indies
Last ODI	7 September 2024 v Ireland
ODI shirt no.	16
T20I debut (cap 36)	24 October 2013 v West Indies
Last T20I	15 September 2024 v Ireland
Domestic team information
Years	Team
2005–present	Lancashire
2015/16	Brisbane Heat
2016–2019	Lancashire Thunder
2017/18–2018/19	Western Australia
2018/19	Perth Scorchers
2020–present	North West Thunder
2021–2022	Manchester Originals
2022	Velocity
2023–present	Northern Superchargers
2024–present	Royal Challengers Bangalore
Career statistics
Competition WTest WODI WT20I Matches 8 68 16 Runs scored 58 260 3 Batting average 6.44 13.00 3.00 100s/50s 0/0 0/0 0/0 Top score 16 38* 2 Balls bowled 1,464 3,121 308 Wickets 25 95 11 Bowling average 30.72 24.01 33.72 5 wickets in innings 0 3 0 10 wickets in match 0 0 0 Best bowling 4/63 6/30 2/18 Catches/stumpings 2/– 15/– 4/–
Source: Cricinfo, 7 September 2024

Kathryn Laura Cross (born 3 October 1991) is an English international cricketer.^[1] She also co-hosts a podcast with Alex Hartley named "No Balls: The Cricket Podcast".^[2]

Career

Cross has played domestic cricket for a number of teams including Lancashire, North West Thunder, Northern Superchargers and Royal Challengers Bangalore.

A right-arm medium fast bowler and right-handed batter, she was the first woman to be accepted into Lancashire's cricket academy in 2006^[3] and won the Eversheds Most Promising Young Cricketer award in September 2007. She made her debut for the England Under-21 side in 2007. In October 2013 she was called up into the England senior squad to tour the West Indies. She made her T20 debut against the West Indies and in November 2013 made her One Day International debut, also against the West Indies. In her second game of the series (the first was washed out) she took 4 for 51 against the West Indies, a performance which earned her the Player of the Match Award. England won the final two games of a three match series and became the first team to win a series against the West Indies in the Caribbean.

In January 2010 she was called up to join the 2010/11 England Women tour of Australia after injuries to Beth Morgan and Claire Taylor.^[4]

In January 2014, she was selected for the Women's Ashes Tour of Australia, during which she played in 6 matches of the 7 match series. In her debut Test Match at the WACA in Perth, Cross had match figures of 32 overs, 6 wickets for 70 runs in a game that England won by 61 runs; having taken 3 for 35 in both Australian innings. England went on to win the series and retain the Ashes by a margin of 10 points to 8.

In April 2014, she was one of the 18 women to be awarded the first professional contracts by the ECB.^[5] In April 2015, she became the first woman to play in the Central Lancashire League, taking 3–19 in a game for Heywood, playing Clifton.^[6] Later in the season, again playing for Heywood, she took 8–47 against Unsworth.^[7]

In July 2015, she was signed by the Brisbane Heat for the inaugural Women's Big Bash as one of their two overseas players.^[8]

Kate Cross bowling for Perth Scorchers in 2018

In November 2018, she was named in the Perth Scorchers' squad for the 2018–19 Women's Big Bash League season.^[9][10]

In February 2019, she was awarded a full central contract by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for 2019.^[11][12] In June 2019, the ECB named her in England's squad for their opening match against Australia to contest the Women's Ashes.^[13][14] In January 2020, she was named in England's squad for the 2020 ICC Women's T20 World Cup in Australia.^[15]

On 18 June 2020, Cross 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 in the United Kingdom.^[16][17]

In December 2020, Cross was announced as one of the commentators to feature on Talksport's commentary for England men's 2nd ODI against South Africa.^[18] The series was abandoned before the match could take place due to a COVID-19 outbreak.^[19]

In January 2021, Cross was announced as part of the squad^[20] who travelled to New Zealand for 3 ODIs and 3 T20Is.^[21] In June 2021, Cross was named as in England's Test squad for their one-off match against India.^[22][23]

In July 2021, Cross made her debut for the Manchester Originals as captain of the Hundred team. During the loss, she made history by hitting the first 6 in hundred ball cricket.^[24] She was the leading wicket taker for Manchester Originals with 12 wickets.^[25]

In December 2021, Cross was named in England's squad for their tour to Australia to contest the Women's Ashes.^[26] In February 2022, she was named in England's team for the 2022 Women's Cricket World Cup in New Zealand.^[27]

In February 2022, Cross was awarded the ESPNcricinfo Women's Bowling Performance Award for 2021, for her 5/34 taken against India.^[28] In April 2022, she was bought by the Manchester Originals for the 2022 season of The Hundred.^[29] In July 2022, she was named in England's team for the cricket tournament at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.^[30]

Cross captained England for the first time in an ODI against Ireland at Stormont in Belfast on 7 September 2024, marking the occasion by taking career best bowling figures of 6/30 and scoring 38 not out with the bat to lead her team to a four-wicket victory in the first contest of a three-match series.^[31][32]

She was named in England's squad for their multi-format tour to South Africa in November 2024.^[33][34]

Cross was named in the England squad for the 2025 Women's Ashes series in Australia.^[35][36]

Personal life

Cross's father David was a professional footballer between 1969 and 1987, most notably for West Ham United, where he won the FA Cup in 1980. Her mother, Christine is a lawyer who specialises in matrimonial law.^[3][37] Her brother, Robert, played cricket for the Lancashire second XI and is a lawyer. He was also general manager of Lancashire Thunder and Chairman of the Lancashire County Cricket Club Federation.^[37][38] Her sister Jenny also worked for Lancashire Thunder as a physiotherapist.^[37]

Cross achieved a 2.1 in her degree in psychology from Leeds University in 2013. She graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University in 2023 with a master's degree in sports directorship.^[39] Her nickname is "Crossy".^[40]

References

1. "Kate Cross. Cricket Players and Officials". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
2. "No Balls:The Cricket Podcast". 4 October 2020. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
3. "Kathryn makes cricket history". Lancashire Telegraph. 15 November 2006. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
4. "Kate Cross called up for England. Women's Cricket Cricket News". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
5. "England women earn 18 new central contracts". BBC. 20 April 2015. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
6. "Kate Cross: England bowler makes Central Lancashire League history". BBC. 20 April 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
7. "BBC Sport - Kate Cross takes eight wickets in Lancashire men's league match". BBC Sport. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
8. Dorries, Ben (28 July 2015). "Brisbane Heat snares English pace duo Kate Cross and Lauren Winfield". The Courier-Mail.
9. "WBBL04: All you need to know guide". Cricket Australia. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
10. "The full squads for the WBBL". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
11. "Freya Davies awarded England Women contract ahead of India tour". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
12. "Freya Davies 'thrilled' at new full central England contract". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
13. "Fran Wilson called into England squad for Ashes ODI opener against Australia". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
14. "England announce squad for opening Women's Ashes ODI". Times and Star. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
15. "England Women announce T20 World Cup squad and summer fixtures". England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
16. "England Women confirm back to training plans". England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
17. "England Women return to training with September tri-series on the cards". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
18. "talkSPORT Cricket on Twitter". Twitter. 5 December 2020. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
19. "South Africa v England: ODI series called off after Covid-19 tests". BBC Sport. 7 December 2020. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
20. "England women recall Tash Farrant for New Zealand tour". BBC Sport. 14 January 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
21. "England Women tour of New Zealand". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
22. "Emily Arlott earns call-up to England Women Test squad". England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
23. "Emily Arlott earns maiden call-up as England announce squad for India Test". Women's CricZone. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
24. Burley, Oli (22 July 2021). "Oval Invincibles earn thrilling win over Manchester Originals in historic opening match". Sky Sports. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
25. "The Hundred Women's Competition, 2021 - Manchester Originals (Women) Cricket Team Records & Stats". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
26. "Heather Knight vows to 'fight fire with fire' during Women's Ashes". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
27. "Charlie Dean, Emma Lamb in England's ODI World Cup squad". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
28. "Rishabh Pant, Shaheen Afridi, Kate Cross and Kane Williamson win ESPNcricinfo awards for 2021". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
29. "The Hundred 2022: latest squads as Draft picks revealed". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
30. "Alice Capsey named in England's Commonwealth Games squad, Tammy Beaumont omitted". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
31. "Cross leads youthful England to win over Ireland". BBC Sport. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
32. "Cross stars as England survive scare to beat Ireland in ODI opener". Sky Sports. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
33. "Uncapped Bouchier and Kemp in England Test squad". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
34. "England drop Alice Capsey for South Africa T20Is, include two uncapped players for Test match". Wisden. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
35. "England Women name squads for 2025 Women's Ashes". England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
36. "Cross back as England name Women's Ashes squad". BBC Sport. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
37. "Kate Cross: England bowler 'didn't know her purpose' during anxiety struggles". BBC Sport. 16 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
38. "Teams played for by Robert Cross". CricketArchive. Retrieved 17 September 2009.
39. Harman, Jo (10 November 2023). "David and Kate Cross: the dad and daughter who won FA Cup and Ashes". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
40. Balding, Clare (19 February 2015). "Balding bowled over by England's women cricketers". BT Sport. Retrieved 23 July 2020.

External links

Media related to Kathryn Cross at Wikimedia Commons

• Kate Cross at ESPNcricinfo
• Kate Cross at CricketArchive (subscription required) (archive)
• Kate Cross at Team England
• Kate Cross on Twitter
• No Balls - The Cricket Podcast on BBC Test Match Special
• Earlier episodes: No Balls - The Cricket Podcast on Apple Podcasts and No Balls - The Cricket Podcast on SoundCloud