Northamptonshire County Cricket Club are delighted to confirm the 2026 Steelbacks Women squad.
Under the guidance of David Ripley, the Steelbacks will have a squad of 17 which will vary across the T20 and 50 over formats.
After a successful first year as a Tier 2 side, Steelbacks Women will be looking to build on and compete for silverware in 2026. The Steelbacks reached the semi-finals of the One Day Cup and were unfortunate not to qualify for Tier 2 T20 Finals Day.
2026 Steelbacks Women squad:
Anisha Patel (50 over captain)
Gemma Marriott (20 over captain)
Beth Ascott
Emily Carpenter (Dual signed with The Blaze Academy)
Ava Clive (Dual signed with Warwickshire Academy)
May Drinkell (50 over competition only)
Emma Gibbs (Dual signed with Essex Academy)
Chloe Hill
Amelia Kemp (Dual signed with Yorkshire Academy)
Megan McColl (T20 competition only)
Ella Phillips
Alicia Presland
Mabel Reid (Dual signed with Essex Academy)
Bethan Robinson (Dual signed with Warwickshire Academy)
Liz Russell
Lenny Sims
Clara Thaker (Dual signed with Essex Academy)
New to the Steelbacks in 2026 is Scotland international Megan McColl. The 25-year-old all-rounder has represented her country 47 times in T20 cricket and brings a wealth of experience to the side. Following strong performances in 2025, two Steelbacks Women players are now part of a Tier 1 Academy and are therefore dual signed.
Seamer Bethan Robinson is dual signed with Warwickshire, with all-rounder Amelia Kemp also working with the Yorkshire Academy.
Emily Carpenter continues with the Club alongside The Blaze Academy, while Mabel Reid, Emma Gibbs and Clara Thakar are dual signed with Essex Academy.
Head Coach David Ripley was pleased with how the squad has shaped up.
“We’re all very pleased with how the squad looks for the upcoming season, there’s a lot of continuity from last year with the leaders around the group but there’s also a healthy amount of new faces.
“We had a productive season last year and now it’s all about building on that and hopefully seeing ourselves in the latter stages of all competitions.
“There’s some good young prospects in the squad with Emma and Clara, who are currently in our pathway and training with England U19’s.”
Northamptonshire CEO Ray Payne was looking forward to seeing the Steelbacks Women in action again in 2026.
“We couldn’t be prouder of how the Steelbacks Women performed in 2025 and now we’re all looking forward to seeing them in action this summer.
“Rips and the team have built a great squad that we’re looking forward to seeing back at The County Ground.”
Steelbacks Women kick off their season at home on Sunday 12th April where they host Kent Women at The County Ground.