Sophie Le Marchand
Encyclopedia
Sophie Jane Le Marchand (born 2 October 1988) is an English cricket
er who plays as a wicket-keeper
batsman
. She is currently part of the England women's academy, having previously represented her country at Under-21 level. A right-handed batsman, she has played for Somerset
since 2008.
and educated at The King's School, Worcester
, Le Marchand read Classical Archaeology and Ancient History at Somerville College, Oxford
.
, and was part of the successful Under-15s team which won the 2002 Women's Under-15s County Championship. In the final, Le Marchand top scored, remaining on 54 not out
during match reduced to 30-overs. She also took one catch as wicket-keeper
during Essex's innings as Worcestershire secured a 55-run victory. During 2004, Le Marchand played for the Under-15s and Under-17s as well as making her debut for the Worcestershire first team during the County Challenge Cup. She made two centuries
and an unbeaten
half-century for the Under-15s. She fared less well outside of the Under-15s; her highest score being the 20 she made on debut for the first team against Wiltshire
. Her performances saw her selected to compete in the Junior Super Fours, where she represented South East Under-19s Women. She top-scored for her side in the final with 18, as they suffered an 84 run defeat to the Midlands.
Le Marchand represented Worcestershire in the County Challenge Cup again in 2005, taking two stumpings and scoring 7 runs as her county lost to Warwickshire
. She appeared regularly for Worcestershire Under-17s, scoring prolifically. Batting as part of the top order
, she made 96 not out against Nottinghamshire, 48 not out against Leicestershire, and 64 against Staffordshire, top-scoring for her side on each occasion.
In 2006, Le Marchand was selected to take part in the Super Fours
—a competition in which the England selectors place the 48 leading players into four teams—for the first time. In the Twenty20
tournament, she was selected as a specialist batsman, with England's national women's team player Jane Smit
keeping wicket
for the Emeralds. Despite her role however, Le Marchand batted low in the order, at number ten in the semi-final, and at number eight in the third place playoff
. She played a similar role in the first three matches of the 50-over Super Fours tournament, but took over as wicket-keeper for the next three, claiming two stumpings. She was one of only four players to take part in all six matches for the Emeralds, and scored 48 runs at an average of 9.60. In two recorded matches for Worcestershire Under-17s, she top-scored in her county's innings on both occasions, making 28 of Worcestershire's 77 in a heavy defeat to Warwickshire, and 126 in a large victory over Shropshire.
The 2007 Super Fours competition saw Le Marchand represent the Diamonds, once again playing all six matches. She batted as part of the lower order, and only played two innings, scoring 14 runs in the competition. Her 12 dismissals in the tournament—5 stumpings and 7 catches—were the most by any player.
, allowing her to compete in Division Two of the Women's County Championship
. She made her debut in the competition against Surrey
in May 2008, scoring 45 runs off 57 balls for her new county. She finished the season with a batting average of 41.00, joint second-highest on the team behind Elwyn Campbell. Playing in the middle order, her 45 on debut remained her highest score of the season, but she made useful scores in both matches against Lancashire
and remained unbeaten twice. She was once again selected to play in the Super Fours, playing four of six matches for the Rubies. She failed to pass 20 runs in any of her innings, although she remained not out on 19 against the Diamonds at the close of the innings.
Promoted to open the innings alongside her captain Steph Davies
for the start of the 2009 campaign, Le Marchand scored two half-centuries in her first four matches of the season before being moved back down the order. She scored 69 runs and shared an opening partnership
of 128 with Davies during Somerset's opening home fixture against Surrey, helping her side to a 21 run victory. Her second half-century, a slow 57 which was scored off 136 balls, came during a 4 wicket defeat to Kent
two matches later. The remaining four matches of the season saw her move around the batting order, twice playing in the middle order, and twice opening. She failed to reach double figures in any of these matches, scoring ducks
on each occasion she opened, and five runs in each of the other two matches. She finished the season with 165 runs, fourth-highest in the Somerset team.
During the 2010 ECB Women's Twenty20 Cup, Le Marchand claimed three stumpings during Somerset's victory over neighbours Devon
, the second time she had achieved this feat in her career, having previously done so during the 2008 Super Fours for the Rubies against the Emeralds.
, facing South Africa in two 50-over contests, and the New Zealand and England women's team in Twenty20s. Batting at number eight in both of the matches against South Africa, Le Marchand made scores of 23 and 0. In the subsequent Twenty20 matches she claimed three stumpings, and made two low totals, scoring 3 against England, and 2 against New Zealand.
Le Marchand played in all three matches during the England Development Squad's successful Women's European Championship campaign in 2007. She was only required to bat once as England won all three of their matches, when she scored 31 runs off 32 balls against Ireland. She claimed one catch and 4 stumpings during the tournament.
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er who plays as a wicket-keeper
Wicket-keeper
The wicket-keeper in the sport of cricket is the player on the fielding side who stands behind the wicket or stumps being guarded by the batsman currently on strike...
batsman
Batting (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, batting is the act or skill of hitting the cricket ball with a cricket bat to score runs or prevent the loss of one's wicket. A player who is currently batting is denoted as a batsman, while the act of hitting the ball is called a shot or stroke...
. She is currently part of the England women's academy, having previously represented her country at Under-21 level. A right-handed batsman, she has played for Somerset
Somerset Women cricket team
The Somerset Women's cricket team is the women's representative cricket team for the English ceremonial county of Somerset. Having twice finished as Women's County Championship Division Two Champions—in 2004 and 2005—and once as Division Two runners-up—in 2008—they...
since 2008.
Personal life
Born in WorcesterWorcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
and educated at The King's School, Worcester
The King's School, Worcester
The King's School, Worcester is an English independent school refounded by Henry VIII in 1541. It occupies a site adjacent to Worcester Cathedral on the banks of the River Severn in the centre of the city of Worcester...
, Le Marchand read Classical Archaeology and Ancient History at Somerville College, Oxford
Somerville College, Oxford
Somerville College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England, and was one of the first women's colleges to be founded there...
.
Worcestershire
Le Marchand began her county cricket career with Worcestershire women's cricket teamWorcestershire Women cricket team
The Worcestershire Women's cricket team is the women's representative cricket team for the English historic county of Worcestershire. They play in Division Two of the Women's County Championship....
, and was part of the successful Under-15s team which won the 2002 Women's Under-15s County Championship. In the final, Le Marchand top scored, remaining on 54 not out
Not out
In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...
during match reduced to 30-overs. She also took one catch as wicket-keeper
Wicket-keeper
The wicket-keeper in the sport of cricket is the player on the fielding side who stands behind the wicket or stumps being guarded by the batsman currently on strike...
during Essex's innings as Worcestershire secured a 55-run victory. During 2004, Le Marchand played for the Under-15s and Under-17s as well as making her debut for the Worcestershire first team during the County Challenge Cup. She made two centuries
Century (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a batsman reaches his century when he scores 100 or more runs in a single innings. The term is also included in "century partnership" which occurs when two batsmen add 100 runs to the team total when they are batting together. A century is regarded as a landmark score for...
and an unbeaten
Not out
In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...
half-century for the Under-15s. She fared less well outside of the Under-15s; her highest score being the 20 she made on debut for the first team against Wiltshire
Wiltshire Women cricket team
The Wiltshire Women's cricket team is the women's representative cricket team for the English historic county of Wiltshire. They play in Division Five South and West of the Women's County Championship....
. Her performances saw her selected to compete in the Junior Super Fours, where she represented South East Under-19s Women. She top-scored for her side in the final with 18, as they suffered an 84 run defeat to the Midlands.
Le Marchand represented Worcestershire in the County Challenge Cup again in 2005, taking two stumpings and scoring 7 runs as her county lost to Warwickshire
Warwickshire Women cricket team
The Warwickshire Women's Cricket Team is the women's representative cricket team for the English historic county of Warwickshire. They play in Division Two of the Women's County Championship....
. She appeared regularly for Worcestershire Under-17s, scoring prolifically. Batting as part of the top order
Batting order (cricket)
In cricket, the batting order is the sequence in which batsmen play through their team's innings, there always being two batsmen taking part at any one time...
, she made 96 not out against Nottinghamshire, 48 not out against Leicestershire, and 64 against Staffordshire, top-scoring for her side on each occasion.
In 2006, Le Marchand was selected to take part in the Super Fours
Super Fours
The Super Fours are a women's cricket competition in England that has been run annually since 2001.The England selectors choose 48 leading players and put them into four teams...
—a competition in which the England selectors place the 48 leading players into four teams—for the first time. In the Twenty20
Twenty20
Twenty20 is a form of cricket, originally introduced in England for professional inter-county competition by the England and Wales Cricket Board , in 2003. A Twenty20 game involves two teams, each has a single innings, batting for a maximum of 20 overs. Twenty20 cricket is also known as T20 cricket...
tournament, she was selected as a specialist batsman, with England's national women's team player Jane Smit
Jane Smit
Jane Smit is an English cricketer and former member of the England team. A wicket keeper, she was formerly married to Australian-born Derbyshire and Northamptonshire cricketer Matthew Cassar but she has reverted to her maiden name...
keeping wicket
Wicket-keeper
The wicket-keeper in the sport of cricket is the player on the fielding side who stands behind the wicket or stumps being guarded by the batsman currently on strike...
for the Emeralds. Despite her role however, Le Marchand batted low in the order, at number ten in the semi-final, and at number eight in the third place playoff
Third place playoff
The third place playoff is a single match that is included in many sporting knockout tournaments to decide which competitor or team will be credited with finishing third and fourth. The teams that compete in the third place playoffs are usually the two losing semi-finalists in a particular...
. She played a similar role in the first three matches of the 50-over Super Fours tournament, but took over as wicket-keeper for the next three, claiming two stumpings. She was one of only four players to take part in all six matches for the Emeralds, and scored 48 runs at an average of 9.60. In two recorded matches for Worcestershire Under-17s, she top-scored in her county's innings on both occasions, making 28 of Worcestershire's 77 in a heavy defeat to Warwickshire, and 126 in a large victory over Shropshire.
The 2007 Super Fours competition saw Le Marchand represent the Diamonds, once again playing all six matches. She batted as part of the lower order, and only played two innings, scoring 14 runs in the competition. Her 12 dismissals in the tournament—5 stumpings and 7 catches—were the most by any player.
Move to Somerset
In 2008, Le Marchand moved from Worcestershire to SomersetSomerset Women cricket team
The Somerset Women's cricket team is the women's representative cricket team for the English ceremonial county of Somerset. Having twice finished as Women's County Championship Division Two Champions—in 2004 and 2005—and once as Division Two runners-up—in 2008—they...
, allowing her to compete in Division Two of the Women's County Championship
Women's County Championship
The Women's County Championship is the women's domestic cricket league in the British Isles...
. She made her debut in the competition against Surrey
Surrey Women cricket team
The Surrey Women's cricket team is the women's representative cricket team for the English historic county of Surrey affiliated with Surrey County Cricket Club. They play in Division Two of the Women's County Championship.-Honours:...
in May 2008, scoring 45 runs off 57 balls for her new county. She finished the season with a batting average of 41.00, joint second-highest on the team behind Elwyn Campbell. Playing in the middle order, her 45 on debut remained her highest score of the season, but she made useful scores in both matches against Lancashire
Lancashire Women cricket team
The Lancashire Women's cricket team is the women's representative cricket team for the English historic county of Lancashire. They play in Division Three of the Women's County Championship....
and remained unbeaten twice. She was once again selected to play in the Super Fours, playing four of six matches for the Rubies. She failed to pass 20 runs in any of her innings, although she remained not out on 19 against the Diamonds at the close of the innings.
Promoted to open the innings alongside her captain Steph Davies
Steph Davies
Stephanie Ann Davies, commonly known as Steph Davies, is an international cricketer who has represented the England women's cricket team in four One Day Internationals...
for the start of the 2009 campaign, Le Marchand scored two half-centuries in her first four matches of the season before being moved back down the order. She scored 69 runs and shared an opening partnership
Partnership (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, two batsmen always bat in partnership, although only one is on strike at any time. The partnership between two batsmen will come to an end when one of them is dismissed or retires, or the innings comes to a close In the sport of cricket, two batsmen always bat in...
of 128 with Davies during Somerset's opening home fixture against Surrey, helping her side to a 21 run victory. Her second half-century, a slow 57 which was scored off 136 balls, came during a 4 wicket defeat to Kent
Kent Women cricket team
The Kent Women's cricket team is the women's representative cricket team for the English ceremonial county of Kent. They play in Division One of the Women's County Championship, which they won in 2006 and 2007.-Honours:*Women's County Championship...
two matches later. The remaining four matches of the season saw her move around the batting order, twice playing in the middle order, and twice opening. She failed to reach double figures in any of these matches, scoring ducks
Duck (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a duck refers to a batsman's dismissal for a score of zero.-Origin of the term:The term is a shortening of the term "duck's egg", the latter being used long before Test cricket began...
on each occasion she opened, and five runs in each of the other two matches. She finished the season with 165 runs, fourth-highest in the Somerset team.
During the 2010 ECB Women's Twenty20 Cup, Le Marchand claimed three stumpings during Somerset's victory over neighbours Devon
Devon Women cricket team
The Devon Women's cricket team is the women's representative cricket team for the English historic county of Devon. They play in Division Three of the Women's County Championship....
, the second time she had achieved this feat in her career, having previously done so during the 2008 Super Fours for the Rubies against the Emeralds.
International career
Le Marchand made her international debut in early August 2006, appearing for England A in a 50-over contest against the touring India women. England A won the reduced match by the Duckworth–Lewis method, with Le Marchand—playing as a wicket-keeper batsman—not required to bat. Selected as part of the England Under-21 squad which won the 2006 Women's European Under-21 Championship, Le Marchand took one stumping, and was not required to bat in either of England's two matches. The following English summer, she made four appearances for the England Development squad prior to the Women's European ChampionshipWomen's European Cricket Championship
The Women's European Cricket Championship is a women's cricket tournament for teams representing European countries. The first edition was contested in 1989.-History:...
, facing South Africa in two 50-over contests, and the New Zealand and England women's team in Twenty20s. Batting at number eight in both of the matches against South Africa, Le Marchand made scores of 23 and 0. In the subsequent Twenty20 matches she claimed three stumpings, and made two low totals, scoring 3 against England, and 2 against New Zealand.
Le Marchand played in all three matches during the England Development Squad's successful Women's European Championship campaign in 2007. She was only required to bat once as England won all three of their matches, when she scored 31 runs off 32 balls against Ireland. She claimed one catch and 4 stumpings during the tournament.