Stony Stratford is delighted to confirm the re-signing of their kiwi star Bella James for their 2023 Home Counties Women’s Cricket League campaign.
James is an accomplished top-order batter playing for the Otago Sparks in New Zealand’s domestic competitions.
A schoolgirl prodigy, James made her Otago Sparks debut aged 15 during the 2014/15 season. The following season (2016), she was named New Zealand Secondary School’s “Player of the Year”, culminating with selection for the White Ferns Development Program.
Since her Sparks debut, she has gone on to represent the “Deep South” in over 100 matches and was skipper between 2019 and 2021.
James is a talented batter and useful off-spinner who is also a practicing NZC Level 1 coach with a Diploma in Sports Management and Coaching.
Recommended by Sparks team-mate, Kate Ebrahim, James headed North to play for Stony Stratford in 2022. She absolutely excelled for the club hitting 1,226 runs at 58.38 including notable scores including 222* (126 balls), 170 (82), and 132 (86) in the Home Counties Women’s Cricket League, not to mention a ton (125*) for the Buckinghamshire Women’s side.
Since returning to New Zealand, James has enjoyed plenty of success for the Sparks, including her maiden Otago century – a brilliant 101 against Central Districts in the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield (List A) competition.
Given her exploits last summer, James is now set to return to Stony for a second stint in 2023. She hopes to dominate and secure higher representative honours in future.
