Photo Credit: Leicestershire County Cricket Club
Leicestershire CCC is delighted to announce the permanent appointment of Stephen Franklin as Women’s Head Coach.
The 37-year-old becomes Leicestershire Women’s first full-time Head Coach after holding the role on a part-time basis since 2020.
Franklin has agreed a two-and-a-half-year deal at Uptonsteel County Ground and will lead the side into their maiden season as a Tier Two outfit next summer.
A former Leicestershire Young Cricketer, Franklin has risen through the coaching ranks having first led the Under 17 Girls, before moving to the Boys’ Pathway to coach both the Under 13s and Under 15s – where he assisted the development of Foxes stars Rehan Ahmed and Sam Wood.
After overseeing Leicestershire Girls’ Emerging Players Programme (EPP) in 2019, the Leicester-born coach was elevated to head the management of Leicestershire Women the following year – an appointment which reaped record success for the Club.
Franklin guided the side to T20 Finals Day glory in 2022, as well as the 2023 East of England Championship title, while he was also instrumental in helping the Foxes Women feature on a regular basis at Uptonsteel County Ground in the build up to the award of Tier Two status.
Discussing his appointment, Franklin said: “I’m very proud and privileged to be offered this opportunity. To be able to dedicate my full-time focus to Leicestershire Women is very exciting, and I’m looking forward to what the future holds.
“We’ve made great strides in professionalising the Women’s game at the Club in recent seasons. Our performances last year were stronger than we’ve ever seen before, which is a really encouraging sign heading into our journey as a Tier Two side.
“The challenge now is playing against much better players consistently – it’s a tough challenge but one we’re ready for. Our aim is to get to Tier One, so we need to lay the foundations and create the culture for that. We have some very exciting players to help us achieve that goal.
“Our other ambition is to inspire the next generation. We’ve seen an incredible number of girls want to represent Leicestershire and now we hold an even greater platform to empower young girls to believe they can become a professional cricketer. I want us to be role models in the county.”
Director of Cricket, Claude Henderson said: “Franky has been an exceptional leader of our Women’s team for several years, and an integral driver in the growth of the Women’s and Girls’ game at Leicestershire.
“After a thorough recruitment process, it was clear Franky was the outstanding candidate for the role. His passion for the Club, as well as his vision for the future of Women’s cricket at Leicestershire, inspired us all and his appointment presents the next chapter in a hugely exciting time for the Club.”
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Name of Author: Leicestershire Cricket
Leicestershire County Cricket Club, founded in 1879, represents the historic counties of Leicestershire and Rutland in English cricket. It gained first-class status in 1894 and entered the County Championship in 1895. The club’s limited overs team is called the Leicestershire Foxes.
