The head coach of the Blaze, Chris Guest has been appointed as England Women’s U19 Performance Lead. After spending three years with Loughborough Lighting and The Blaze following the region’s move to Nottinghamshire in 2022.
Along with his regional commitments, he also led the England Women U19 World Cup program as head coach in 2023 as well as the U19 tri-series tournament played between Sri Lanka, England, and Australia earlier this year.
His coaching experience extended with serving as assistant coach at Northern Superchargers during the previous three editions of The Hundred.
Guest’s new role will include overseeing the U19 T20 Women’s T20 World Cup in Malaysia next year, while also leading the emerging stars from the academy and senior programs, which will feed into England’s U19 activity.
He also previously worked in ECB circuit coaching at Derbyshire and Staffordshire. “The pride and excitement of wearing the Three Lions over last few years has been immense and to be able to do so in this new role is an incredible feeling,” Chris Guest said.
“With the growth of the women’s game, it’s a privilege to take on this role as it will focus on ensuring our young cricketers get the cricket they need at the right time which I am extremely passionate about.
“I thoroughly enjoyed my time at The Blaze. It’s a great place to work and has been a massive part of my development and I wish them every success in the future.
The head of England Women’s Performance Richard Bedbrook said, “We are delighted to have Chris on board.
“He has vast experience in the women’s game, strong relationships with and knowledge of all our domestic teams and this new full-time role will allow him to help shape the development of our highest potential players in a collaborative fashion before, during and after any international U19 activity.
“His qualities have hugely affected the previous England Women U19 environments and we are all looking forward to his inspirational methods positively influencing future programs and systems.”
Meanwhile, Jonathan Finch, the director of women’s cricket said, “The ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup provides fantastic opportunities for our young talent to experience tournament match play against their peers from other countries.
“Chris’s appointment allows us to build on those experiences, through closer relationships with the counties, to enhance the support the players get at this age group.
“Chris brings a wealth of experience from the women’s domestic game and will play a key role in shaping the experiences young players have on their journey to international cricket,” concluded Jonathan Finch.
