Mark Dobson named as England women's coach

Mark Dobson has been appointed as the new coach of the England women's side. He will take up the post on July 1 - in time for New Zealand's visit in August.

Dobson, 39, had a brief first-class career at Kent and Glamorgan and has been in the game as a coach ever since. He is currently in charge of the Super 4s Emeralds squad, having succeeded former coach Duncan Martindale to the position at the start of the 2007. Currently the head of PE at St. Edmund's School in Canterbury, he will give up teaching to take up the full time position with the ECB.

"I am absolutely delighted to have been offered the role and very excited at the prospect of working with the top women's players in the country," Dobson said.

"This is a very exciting time for women's cricket in England," Gill McConway, the ECB's executive director for women's cricket, said. "Both John Harmer and Richard Bates moved the women's game forward tremendously in their time as head coach. With Mark, we get a completely different style from a very enthusiastic individual who expects strong work ethics. He has an amazing ability to turn training sessions into high levels of entertainment through his creative and innovative coaching styles."

"I'm delighted Mark has been appointed," said Charlotte Edwards, the England captain. "He is one of the most inspiring coaches within women's cricket with loads of new and exciting ideas. I'm really looking forward to working with him in the forthcoming series against New Zealand, and looking ahead to the Ashes next year and the World Cup in 2009. It's a fantastic appointment and we're all genuinely excited about it."