Charlie Dean

Charlotte Ellen Dean was introduced to cricket by her father, who played cricket for Staffordshire and Warwickshire. The off-break bowler took five wickets on her debut for Portsmouth Grammar School in 2017 and captained Hampshire U-15s to victory in the Royal London County Cup.

In August 2021, Dean was named in England's WT20I squad for their series against New Zealand. However, Dean was ruled out of the first WT20I match after being identified as a possible COVID-19 contact.

The following month, Dean was named in England's WODI squad. She made her WODI debut on 16 September 2021 against New Zealand and went on to be the joint-leading wicket-taker in the five-match series, with 10 wickets. It included a 4/36 in the 2nd ODI to help England to a 13-run victory.

In December 2021, Dean was named in England's squad for their tour to Australia to contest the Women's Ashes. She made her WT20I debut on 22 January 2022 against Australia and her Test match debut on 27 January 2022 for England against Australia in the one-off Women's Ashes Test. She dismissed Beth Mooney to claim her first Test wicket and ended with figures of 2/24 in Australia's second innings.

In February 2022, she was named in England's squad for the 2022 Women's Cricket World Cup in New Zealand.

Year 2022 was when she firmly stamped her authority as a mainstay in England’s white-ball attack. The December tour of the West Indies became her personal showcase, a series where her evolving craft as an off-spinner took centre stage. Dean led the bowling charts in both formats, collecting seven wickets in the ODIs and a staggering eleven in the T20Is. Her ability to read batters, vary her pace, and hold her nerve in crucial phases transformed her into a go-to weapon for England. Crowned Player of the Series in the T20Is, Dean’s performances weren’t just statistically dominant—they exuded tactical maturity, control, and a quiet confidence that belied her age.

The global stage awaited, and Charlie Dean didn’t blink. In January, she earned her place in England’s squad for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup and featured in all five matches. Though her four wickets came at a modest average of 32.75, Dean’s role went beyond the numbers. Her calm demeanour and disciplined lines helped contain opponents in high-pressure games, especially on the turning tracks of South Africa, where control was as crucial as breakthroughs.

When the Ashes heat turned up in July, Dean kept her cool. Selected for three matches during the fiercely contested Women’s Ashes series, she quietly chipped away with four wickets. While not the standout performer, her ability to hold her end and build pressure spoke volumes about her reliability in high-stakes contests. In a series dominated by narratives of aggression and resilience, Dean provided the subtle, stabilising touch England needed.

But the crescendo came in September, and Dean made it hers. Against Sri Lanka in the third ODI, she unleashed her most lethal spell yet, claiming a maiden international five-wicket haul with figures of 5 for 31. Each wicket was a product of patience and precision, as she dismantled the visitors with guile rather than brute force. It was the kind of performance that punctuated her evolution from promising youngster to game-changing force in England’s ranks.

April 2024 saw her etch her name into the record books as she became the fastest woman in ODI history to reach 50 wickets, accomplishing this feat in just 26 innings. The milestone, achieved during the first ODI against New Zealand, was not merely a statistical achievement but a resounding testament to her unwavering accuracy and relentless pressure.

Milestones chased her like shadows in the months that followed. In July that year, during the first T20I against New Zealand, she notched her 100th international wicket—another moment of quiet triumph in a career quickly becoming defined by consistency at the highest level. Her figures of 2 for 28 weren’t earth-shattering, but they symbolised her role as the ever-present heartbeat of England’s spin attack, delivering just when her team needed her to.

But it was in December that she truly spun magic. Facing South Africa in an ODI, Dean joined one of the rarest clubs in cricket by claiming an ODI hat-trick—only the third English woman ever to do so. It was a sequence of precision, nerve, and tactical brilliance. Each wicket in that spell was layered with intent: drawing the batter in, tightening the angle, and delivering the final blow. With the hat-trick, she didn’t just celebrate a personal high; she punctuated a year where excellence became her norm.

By 2025, Charlie Dean was no longer the rising star—she was the reliable force England leaned on. Her subtle variations, delivered with the composure of a seasoned campaigner, ensured England clinched the match and sealed the series. While the scoreboard told a tidy tale, it was Dean’s strategic nous—picking the right moments to strike—that quietly orchestrated the win. In a team evolving with fresh faces and shifting dynamics, Dean remained a steadfast constant, still redefining what consistency looks like in white-ball cricket.

(As of June 2025)