Francesca Sweet has penned her first professional contract as she signs a two-year contract with Hampshire Cricket.
The twenty-one-year-old was born in Sussex and represented the Sussex academy from the under elevens to under eighteens.
The all-rounder has seen a fast ascension through the leagues in the past twelve months as she started last season in tier 3 playing for Berkshire and then went on to represent Leicestershire in tier 2, where she hit 315 runs with an average of just under 40 for The Foxes.
Sweet then further impressed in the Vitality Blast, where she came out the second-top scorer with 296 runs at an average of 32.8, as Leicestershire went all the way to the final’s day. The young star also contributed 6 wickets to her team, showing her ever-improving competence with the ball.
After trials with Essex and Surrey where Francesca faced Hampshire’s second eleven, she was given the opportunity to trial for the club which proved successful for the young cricketer.
In an exclusive interview with Adam Carty, Director of women’s cricket in the South Central region, he said: “Having seen Francesca perform across the 3 tiers we were really pleased to trial her in November and December.”
“To see how quickly she grew over that short period with us was testament to why she got the contract,” said Carty.
“In Francesca we feel we have unearthed a player with the aid of our friends at the challengers who has all the physical attributes and personal characteristics to have a meaningful impact on the women’s domestic game for years to come,” Carty said.
Sweet herself talked about her excitement to start her first professional contract at Hampshire and continue her form looking toward the new season.
“I’m really excited to join Hampshire, everyone at the club has been very welcoming while I’ve been trialling”, she said.
“It’s a really strong group to be a part of, I’ve enjoyed getting to know everyone and I hope that I can make an impact on the pitch over the next couple of years.”
The buzz around the signing is clear to see with Francesca seen to be the future of Hampshire’s middle order with Carty saying: “We are a club that are striving to progress all-rounders and she fits that category pretty well.”
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