WOMEN’S RAPIDS CAPTAIN JOINS SOUTHERN VIPERS ON PERMANENT BASIS

Worcestershire Women’s Rapids captain Chloe Hill will be playing her regional cricket with Southern Vipers permanently next summer.

The wicket-keeper-batter moved to the Vipers on loan from Central Sparks for the 2022 season and helped them reach the final of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.

She has now switched to the Ageas Bowl full-time after several impressive performances for the Vipers, who confirmed her signing on their official website.

Hill hit 55 in the 11-run win over the Sunrisers, and her 43 not out saw them to a four-wicket win over Thunder.

It was a proud day for Hill when she appeared in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy final at Lord’s, and the Vipers came so close to glory before losing by two runs to Northern Diamonds.

In total, she played six matches for the Vipers in the 50-over competition and took over the gloves from Carla Rudd for the Eliminator and the final.

Hill also led the Women’s Rapids to the ECB T20 County Cup Group Two title, and they came close to a trophy double after finishing runners-up – with a depleted side – in the final of the West Midlands Regional Cup.

She said: “It is probably the right option to make the full move for next season and have a good winter with the Vipers and see how it goes from there.

“Was it time for a change? I think so. You get to that point where a new environment is the right space and right place for you to go and progress your cricket.

“Probably, I’ll get more opportunities to progress my cricket at the Vipers.
“I really enjoyed last summer’s spell and just to be known that I would be trusted as just a batter or as a keeper-batter.

“It was great to be behind the stumps for the final at Lord’s, and it was definitely a headache of selection for the final for the coaches.
“To be given the opportunity as keeper-batter for the last two games shows how much hard work I put in, really.

“I’d like to thank the Sparks coaches for getting me to where I got to, and I am close friends with the girls. It’s sad to leave, but also, it’s the right decision for me with my cricket.”

Hill began her career at her native Buckinghamshire, where she played for four years from 2012-2015 before joining Worcestershire and being named Rapids captain in 2021.

She played for Central Sparks in the inaugural Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and hit the winning runs as the Sparks beat would-be finalists Northern Diamonds by six wickets.

Hill played ten matches for the Sparks in 2021 across the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and Charlotte Edwards Cup before joining the Vipers last summer on loan.

In her second match for the Vipers, Hill scored her maiden fifty for the team.

Coming in with the score on 38-5 against Sunrisers, Hill, along with Paige Scholfield, rescued the side with a 105-run partnership.