ECB confirms Leah Poulton will take charge of England women’s cricket from November

London, 9 September – The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has officially announced that former Australian international Leah Poulton will become the Managing Director of England Women’s cricket, effective November. She will replace Claire Connor and will be tasked with overseeing the senior England Women team, the England Women A side, the Under‑19 squad and the entire high‑performance system for women’s cricket in England. The timing of the appointment is significant as England prepares to host Australia for the Women’s Ashes series next year. Poulton’s background includes six years as head of elite female cricket in Cricket New South Wales, where she managed two WBBL franchises, state‑level women’s cricket and a large talent‑pathway initiative. Prior to that she spent three years as a high‑performance coach with Cricket Australia, playing a key role in developing the women’s high‑performance pathway and working with Australia A and the Under‑19 team. After hanging up her boots, she served as an assistant coach for the Sydney Thunder and Sydney Sixers in the WBBL, then moved to a pathway‑manager and assistant‑coach role with the New South Wales Breakers. At Cricket Australia she also coached Australia A, the Under‑19 and Under‑15 women’s sides and helped launch the Under‑19 and Australia A programmes, including their first overseas tours. In England she will collaborate with head coach Charlotte Edwards and captain Nat Sciver‑Brunt to create a unified vision for sustained success on the international stage. ECB chief executive Richard Gold said Poulton’s blend of playing experience and administrative expertise will help England women continue their development journey. Poulton said she is thrilled and honoured to join England, shape the programme and, most importantly, invest in the people who make it possible.