Sophia Smale
Personal information
Full nameSophia Ann Elizabeth Smale
Born (2004-12-08) 8 December 2004 (age 17)
Newport, Wales
BattingRight-handed
BowlingSlow left-arm orthodox
RoleAll-rounder
RelationsWilliam Smale (brother)
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
2021–presentWales
2022–presentWestern Storm
2022–presentOval Invincibles
Career statistics
Competition WLA WT20
Matches 6 23
Runs scored 133 69
Batting average 44.33 13.80
100s/50s 0/1 0/0
Top score 59 18
Balls bowled 330 446
Wickets 2 18
Bowling average 134.00 27.37
5 wickets in innings 0 0
10 wickets in match 0 0
Best bowling 2/40 2/12
Catches/stumpings 3/– 8/–
Source: CricketArchive, 8 October 2022

Sophia Ann Elizabeth Smale (born 8 December 2004) is a Welsh cricketer who currently plays for Wales, Western Storm and Oval Invincibles. She plays as a slow left-arm orthodox bowler and right-handed batter.[1][2]

Early life[edit]

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[edit]

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]

Smale was named in the Western Storm Academy squad for 2021.[10] She scored 83 from 77 balls in a 50-over match against North West Thunder Academy in June 2021.[11] She was again named in the Storm Academy for the 2022 season, but was promoted to the first team squad in May 2022.[12][13] She made her debut for the side on 18 May 2022, against Sunrisers in the Charlotte Edwards Cup.[14] 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.[15] 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.[16] She scored her maiden half-century during the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, scoring 59 against Northern Diamonds.[17]

In July 2022, Smale signed for Oval Invincibles for the 2022 season of The Hundred, as an injury replacement player for Emma Jones.[18] 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.[19] 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.[20]

References[edit]

  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. 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. 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. ^ "Western Storm announce selections for Regional Academy Programme". Western Storm. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  11. ^ "Western Storm Academy v Thunder Academy, 20 June 2021, Thornbury CC, Bristol". NV Play. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  12. ^ "Western Storm name 2022 Regional Academy players". Western Storm. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  13. ^ "Western Storm Announce 2022 Squad". Western Storm. 11 May 2022. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  14. ^ "Group B (N), Chelmsford, May 18 2022, Charlotte Edwards Cup: Sunrisers v Western Storm". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  15. ^ "Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2022 - Western Storm/Batting and Bowling Averages". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  16. ^ "Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2022 - Western Storm/Batting and Bowling Averages". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  17. ^ "Hollie Armitage century sets up Diamonds for record-breaking victory". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  18. ^ "Nathan Ellis leads tranche of Hundred replacements". the Cricketer. 27 July 2022. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  19. ^ "Records/The Hundred Women's Competition, 2022 - Oval Invincibles (Women)/Batting and Bowling Averages". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  20. ^ "Meet Sophia Smale, the 17-year-old spinner making a name for herself". the Cricketer. 26 August 2022. Retrieved 8 October 2022.

External links[edit]