Surrey seek full-time women's coach

Surrey look set to become the first of the first-class counties to appoint a full-time women's coach.

In another sign of the growing importance of women's cricket, the club have advertised for a coach to look after both the Surrey Stars (who play in the Kia Super League) and the Surrey team that play in the county one-day and T20 competitions.

The successful candidate will also work with those on the player pathway and be considered a member of the Surrey management team. They will report to Ebony Rainford-Brent, who is director of women's cricket at the club.

"The main thing that sets the Surrey appointment apart, from those that other counties have made, is the singular focus on performance and the talent pathway up to Surrey Stars," Clare Connor, the director of England women's cricket, told ESPNcricinfo. "No other county has that type of role.

"Others have full-time coaches or members of staff - be they male or female - for whom coaching the high potential women and girls in that county is just one aspect of their role.

"It is a really exciting move for a county to be recruiting a full-time head coach. I'm sure the role will attract a range of high calibre coaches who have been excited by the progress the women's game has seen in recent years."

Rainford-Brent said: "England's victory in this year's Women's Cricket World Cup has shown that women's cricket still has massive potential to grow in this country. Investing in this new position will ensure that Surrey are constantly driving positive change in the women's game.

"Furthermore, creating this job underscores Surrey's strong commitment to women's cricket and the club's desire to create more superstars like the Stars' captain Natalie Sciver, who will hopefully go on to success for both Surrey and in the international arena."