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Georgia Adams Relishing 'Unexpected' Opportunities In Australia
Georgia Adams Relishing 'Unexpected' Opportunities In Australia
Southern Vipers captain Georgia Adams is heading out to Australia for the winter after she was drafted up by Adelaide Strikers for the WBBL and New South Wales in the WNCL
After a season like no other, Southern Vipers captain Georgia Adams will be jetting off to Australia for the winter, as she embarks on her first trip to the country as a contracted player.
Adams first received a call up to the New South Wales Breakers side for the Women’s National Cricket League (WNCL) – Australia’s version of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy – in June 2023, but recently found out she’d be wearing two shades of blue as current Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) champions Adelaide Strikers chose her to accommodate their third and final overseas spot.
“It all came out of the blue really” Adams said, “to have the opportunity to [play with] New South Wales Breakers, I was pretty speechless to get that opportunity.
“I think I’m one of the first to take on a proper domestic contract out there, so I guess there’s a few nerves around but also a lot of excitement to go and do something that I’ve always wanted to do.”
The opportunity arose after Adams was chatting to Vipers teammate and best friend Georgia Elwiss, who advised Adams to contact former England all-rounder Jenny Gunn about the possibility of playing club cricket in Sydney.
A couple of weeks later, and Adams was surprised by a phone call from NSW Director of Cricket, Leah Poulton, who offered her a contract after speaking to Gunn and Vipers Head Coach Charlotte Edwards.
Adams said: “It all pieced together nicely, so I think I’ve got a few people to thank for putting in a good word for me!
“I think it came just as much out of the blue to Lottie than it did to me, but yeah, I’m really excited.”
The WBBL draft then took place on 3rd September, but Adams wasn’t picked.
However, after getting on the team bus travelling up to Vipers’ Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy match at Gosforth, Adams checked her phone and noticed a couple of messages.
“Myself and Georgia Elwiss went and got coffee and sat on the bus in what was about to be an eight hour bus trip and I decided to look at my phone and all of a sudden I’ve got messages from my agent, messages from Luke Williams saying ‘are you free for a chat?’”
“The phone call came in from Luke first which was nice to speak directly to him and he said he had a third overseas spot and he’s love to take me on.”
Luke Williams has coached the Adelaide Strikers since 2018, and has been part of Southern Brave’s coaching team for The Hundred, and has been working with Adams since she joined the Brave from Oval Invincibles in 2022.
Adams’ first task will be against Melbourne Stars, a side featuring Vipers teammates Maia Bouchier and Nicole Faltum, along with Australia captain Meg Lanning.
A total of 12 English players will feature in the WBBL, half of which are domestically contracted to their regions.
Adams said: “We’ve seen across out domestic structure this summer that we’ve had overseas dipping into nearly all the teams, if not every one, and it has strengthened the format.
“The stronger the teams and the stronger the games, the better we’ll get and the quicker we’ll develop as cricketers.”
In the winter of 2021-22, Maia Bouchier featured for Western Australia where she recorded her then-highest List A score of 79.
Adams won’t join up with the NSW Breakers until December when the WNCL resumes, but she hopes her contract with the team can become the norm for cricketers in England and across the world in the near future.
