Women's latest news

The Sussex Women’s side look to a new season with a new captain. After 11 years as Sussex captain, Clare Connor has decided to pass on the reigns to Alexia Walker.

Clare has done a magnificent job to get Sussex where they are today, she has led the County to 3 County Championships.

Alexia takes on the role in her first match on Saturday 12th April against Kent at Sussex CCC, Hove.

We asked Clare and Alexia, what has been achieved and what the future holds, both as players and for the County.

Clare, what was it like being captain and do you think you have achieved what you had set out to do when you first started?

I loved every moment as Sussex captain; even during the darker days when out county championship matches held in Cambridge finished so early that there was time for a punt on the river before dinner!

When I took over, we lost most games but the potential was huge and my challenge was simply to try and help that potential be realised. Even though those early years were tough, it was heartening to know that we had some superb players coming through the junior county ranks, all of whom had played together for six years and who would hopefully stay together as the heart of the senior county squad for the foreseeable future. I had been captain of the Sussex junior teams so I felt I knew the players well and felt that if we stuck together, trained hard and stayed committed, we could transform Sussex from being one of the worst teams in the country to the best. And by 2003, that’s what we achieved when we won the county title for the first time in our history. To follow that up by winning it again in 2004 and 2005 showed that we had built something sustainable and strong.

As for the question, have I achieved what I wanted when I first started, well I don’t think I could have asked for anything more. I have the most fantastic memories with the Sussex team and they will stay imprinted in my memory alongside the very best memories I have as captain of England. They mean just as much. My team mates and I have been supported by an amazing Sussex committee who have been totally dedicated in their hard work and support off the pitch. Without the likes of Andrew England, Terry Burton, Laurie Walker and Ruth Prideaux there is no way that Sussex would be the force it is now and I would like to thank them for all their efforts.

Do you have any advice for Alexia as new captain?

Trust yourself……and laugh at yourself!!!

Alexia, are you excited about being captain for Sussex and taking on this role?

It is a huge honour and I am incredibly excited about the opportunity. This will be my 15th season playing for Sussex and if my memory serves me correctly, it will be my 10th season in the seniors. I am incredibly proud to play for such a fantastic county with real tradition and passion for cricket. We have an extremely talented group of young players and a strong youth set up so it is a great time to be captain and I thank the management team for putting their faith in me to take the County forward. I can’t wait to get the season going and working with all the players to achieve the best we can.

What do you hope to achieve as captain and for Sussex?

As a team we have under performed since winning the County Championships three years in a row from 2003 – 2005. We were all bitterly disappointed as we are a very talented group of players who work very hard but recently we have struggled to hit the ground running and have been playing catch up to Kent who have now won twice in a row. So our obvious goal is to regain the County Championship by playing some exciting and positive cricket.

As captain I hope to set the tone for the rest of the team through my leadership and cricket performances. I want to work closely with individual players to help them develop and achieve their potential. I am lucky to have grown up with most of the team and we have a great rapport. I simply want to use this spirit and work hard for each other to achieve as much as we possibly can.

Clare has done a magnificent job as captain to get Sussex where they are now, do you have anything to say about what she has achieved as a player and a captain?

They are incredibly big shoes to fill! Clare’s achievements as Sussex captain are phenomenal as she took over the captaincy at a young age with an incredibly young and relatively inexperienced team. Along with the management team, she helped drive the county forward to outstanding success culminating in our hat trick of County Championships. It has been a privilege to play in her team and I have learnt so much from her and hope that I can continue to serve Sussex with the same passion and commitment that she has. I know I can speak on behalf of all the players both past and present, all the management team, committee and supporters when I thank her for everything she brought to Sussex during her time as captain and we are delighted that she will still continue to play an important part in the future of Sussex cricket.

You can see how Alexia takes on her new role at her first match on Saturday 12th April against Kent at Sussex CCC, Hove. The match starts at 11am with entrance free to the ground.