Double Blast winner David Ripley named head coach of Northants Steelbacks women

Ripley famously guided the Steelbacks men to Finals Day glory at Edgbaston in 2013 and 2016, and those two major honours make him the most successful coach in the club's long history.

His team were also Blast runners-up in 2015.

Ripley will officially take charge of Northants women from February, 2025, ahead of the restructuring of the women's county game in England and Wales.

The County women have been placed in Tier 2 of the new structure announced by the England & Wales Cricket Board earlier this year.

Northants will compete in both 50-over and 20-over cricket against Derbyshire, Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Kent, Leicestershire, Middlesex, Sussex, Worcestershire and Yorkshire next summer.

Full details on the competition structure and 2025 schedule will be announced in due course.

Ripley, who also played for the club for 17 years between 1984 and 2001, stood down as Northants head coach at the end of the 2021 season after 10 years at the helm.

He stayed at the club and took up a role as the lead coach at a new sixth-form programme in Luton and central Bedfordshire, while continuing to help coach the wicket-keepers at Wantage Road.

He now faces a new challenge at the County Ground, and said: "I’m delighted to be joining the Women’s Steelbacks as head coach, it’s exciting times ahead as the new format is rolled out.

"As well as a competitive senior team I hope to help develop our younger girls into future professional players, in partnership with our pathway coaches.

"I would also like to pay tribute to Rob Mahony and Trish Hankins for the great work they have put into our senior women’s team over many seasons."

Northants chief executive Ray Payne is thrilled that Ripley has agreed to lead the new project.

“We are delighted to have appointed David as head coach of our women’s team at the end of an extensive and thorough recruitment process," said Payne.

“David’s track record as both a player and a coach made him the outstanding candidate and we are convinced he will lead our women’s team into a bright future and drive the highest possible standards

“We are excited to get to work with David to prepare the team for their maiden season in 2025 and look forward to seeing them perform at the County Ground and beyond.”