Linsey Smith

A skilful left-arm spinner, Linsey Smith is a professional English cricketer who plies her trade in franchise cricket for Northern Superchargers in England and Melbourne Stars in Australia.

The 26-year-old old her List-A debut a decade back in the 2011 Super Fours competition, playing for Rubies. She soon became a regular for Berkshire County and scalped her maiden five-wicket haul in 2012 against Somerset. Having won the Women’s Cricket Super League with the Southern Vipers, she ended up as the runners-up in the next two seasons and earned a call-up from England for the 2018 T20 World Cup.

Linsey made her T20I debut against Bangladesh women on the biggest stage of them all and picked up her maiden international wicket in the comprehensive victory. Having failed to establish herself as a regular for the English national side, Linsey has made a name for herself in Franchise cricket. She scalped 9 wickets for the Northern Superchargers in the inaugural edition of The Hundred Women and ended up as the leading wicket-taker for her side.

The Middlesex-born spinner signed for the Melbourne Stars for the seventh edition of the Women’s Big Bash League and would be looking to showcase her skills in the premier women’s tournament of the World.

As the international spotlight briefly shifted away, Linsey Smith quietly laid down a solid foundation in domestic cricket during the final months of 2021. Turning out for Southern Vipers in both the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and the Charlotte Edwards Cup, Smith’s left-arm orthodox bowling proved to be a steadying force across formats.

Over the course of the 2021 season, she featured in 13 List A matches and picked up 18 wickets at an impressive average of 20.66. Her best figures—4 for 36—spoke to her knack for striking in crucial moments. Just as importantly, her economy rate hovered around a tidy 4.19, underscoring her role as a containment bowler who could apply pressure and build sustained spells of control. These performances reinforced her credentials and hinted at readiness for bigger stages.

Carrying her momentum into 2022, Linsey Smith remained a dependable figure in England’s domestic circuit, splitting her time between Southern Vipers and The Blaze. Her role as a consistent wicket-taking option and a miserly operator with the ball became more defined as the season progressed.

In List A cricket that year, Smith featured in 10 matches and collected 12 wickets at an average of 23.91—a return that underlined her effectiveness in containing opposition batters while still finding breakthroughs. Her ability to keep things tight was equally evident in the shorter format.

In domestic T20s, Smith’s left-arm spin continued to frustrate batters. She claimed 10 wickets in 9 matches, operating at a tidy economy of around 6.14, with best figures of 3 for 22. These performances cemented her role as a T20 specialist—disciplined, accurate, and unfazed under pressure.

Her consistency also extended to The Hundred, where she turned out for Northern Superchargers. Though wickets didn’t come in heaps, she maintained control with tight lines, finishing the season with 6 scalps in 9 appearances and an economy rate hovering near 7.00. Across formats, Smith quietly reinforced her status as one of the most reliable domestic spinners in the English game.

By 2023, Linsey Smith had transitioned from a consistent performer to a genuine match-winner in domestic cricket, marking the year as her most impactful yet. With growing maturity and an increasingly commanding presence in the field, she became a central figure in The Blaze’s bowling unit and continued to shine in both List A and T20 formats.

In the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, Smith delivered her most prolific season to date. Over 13 matches, she scalped 22 wickets at a stunning average of 17.59 while keeping her economy rate to just 4.32. Her ability to apply pressure, force errors, and strike in the middle overs gave The Blaze a constant edge throughout the campaign.

Her sharpest performance in the Charlotte Edwards Cup came against Thunder, where she delivered a clinical spell of 3 for 9, dismantling the opposition’s middle order with precision and flight. It was a reminder of her ability not just to contain but to rip through line-ups when conditions allowed.

Smith also made a significant impact in The Hundred 2023, where she turned out for Northern Superchargers. In the high-pressure environment of the tournament, she bagged 10 wickets across 9 matches while maintaining an economy rate under 7.5. Whether in the longer white-ball format or the ultra-short Hundred, Smith’s control and versatility made her one of the standout spinners in the domestic scene that year.

After spending time out of the England setup, Linsey Smith’s persistence at the domestic level was finally rewarded with a national recall. In April 2024, she returned to the international arena for the T20I series against New Zealand—her first appearance for England in years. Slotting seamlessly back into the side, Smith featured in three T20Is, taking 3 wickets at an average of 24.33 while maintaining an economy of 6.96.

Her standout effort came in the second T20I at Nelson, where she registered tidy figures of 1 for 25 in a controlled spell that helped England secure a 15-run win. The series marked a quiet but crucial return, reaffirming her credentials as a bowler capable of delivering under pressure on the global stage.

Smith’s return to the England fold continued into the 2024 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in the UAE. Playing all six matches of the campaign, she picked up 5 wickets at an average of 31.60 and an economy rate of 6.58—figures that reflected her consistent ability to contain top-order batters on slow, turning surfaces.

She made her mark right from the start, with best figures of 2 for 11 in England’s opening group-stage win over Bangladesh. Her spell throttled the scoring rate and included a sharp run-out, underscoring her dual value as both a bowler and an agile fielder. Even when wickets didn’t come in clumps, her accuracy and tactical discipline added balance to England’s attack.

As the year progressed, Smith’s form only grew stronger. Back with Southern Vipers and Northern Superchargers in domestic cricket, she continued to pick up wickets with unrelenting control and craft. But it was in The Hundred 2024 where she truly stole the spotlight, emerging as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with 15 wickets from 12 matches at an astonishing average of 9.7 and an economy rate around 6.0. Her ability to strike regularly while maintaining near-total control made her a linchpin for her franchise.

Her efforts did not go unnoticed at the national level either. Selected for England’s multi-format tour to South Africa, Smith contributed key spells in both white-ball formats, combining economy with timely breakthroughs in challenging conditions.

She ended a career-defining year with a fitting recognition—being named in the 2024 Metro Bank PCA Women’s Team of the Year, alongside fellow standout Katie George. It was an honour that encapsulated her full-circle return: from a domestic workhorse to an international asset once more.

Her consistent performances earned her a place in the squad for the high-profile 2025 Women’s Ashes series in Australia, a testament to the growing trust placed in her by the national selectors.

As England prepares for a demanding international calendar ahead, Linsey Smith finds herself not just back in the conversation but firmly embedded in the core. With improved consistency, tactical sharpness, and growing confidence, the next chapter of her career promises to be as significant as the resurgence that brought her here.

(As of July 2025)