Western Storm, the 2019 Super League winners, will be one of the eight teams in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy
Following the postponement of The Hundred earlier this year, some of Wales' female cricketers will finally have a chance to prove themselves amongst the best in the country.
The Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, the England and Wales Cricket Board's (ECB) new regionalised domestic competition, starts this Bank Holiday weekend.
Four Cricket Wales players - Claire Nicholas, Lauren Parfitt, Alex Griffiths and Danielle Gibson - have been selected in a 14-player squad by Western Storm for their first game away to South East Stars on Saturday.
"At one stage, I didn't think we'd get to play any cricket this year," all-rounder Griffiths admitted.
The 18-year-old from Port Talbot gained her first taste of professional cricket with Western Storm last summer and was rewarded with a place in England's development training squad.
Now Griffiths is relishing another chance to prove herself at a higher standard.
"It was a huge disappointment when The Hundred was cancelled, because it was a new and exciting format, but I'm grateful to have this opportunity now to gain more experience that I can take into next year," she added.
All four players have previously been involved in the 20-over Kia Super League with Western Storm - the franchise which represents the West of England and Wales, and is coached by Caldicot native Mark O'Leary.
Nicholas and Griffiths were in the 2019 side that lifted the trophy, whilst Gibson, who is originally from Gloucestershire but plays her county cricket for Wales, was also part of the squad but was sidelined by a broken knuckle.
The Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy is a new 50-over competition involving eight women's regional sides, ensuring women's domestic cricket is played this summer despite the Covid-19 pandemic.
Spin bowler Nicholas, who is 33 and from Llanelli, is pleased the competition is still going ahead despite so much uncertainty.
"It shows the ECB's commitment to developing the professional women's game," she said.
"They wanted to set up regional centres of excellence and give out those domestic contracts, so while that hasn't gone fully to plan because of the pandemic, they've still enabled this competition to go ahead and that's so important.
"It also gives fans something to watch and follow, even if it's just from a live stream given that the games are being played behind closed doors."
Mark O'Leary is Western Storm's head coach after stepping up from his assistant role in 2019
Head coach O'Leary, who worked as Storm's assistant coach for last year's Kia Super League, is looking forward to the challenge of leading a young but exciting squad into a "new era" for Western Storm.
"We're all just really excited to get started, it's a great opportunity for these players to express themselves and show what they can do," he said.
"After all the Covid disruption, the matches and squad selections were always going to come around quickly, but it's great for the game that the competition is going ahead."
O'Leary is also passionate about representing the Welsh contingent of Western Storm and ensuring that the talent coming through the Cricket Wales pathway, and the hard work of the coaches, is not going unnoticed.
"We've got an experienced campaigner in Claire, combined with the young talent of Alex as well," O'Leary added. "They're a credit to their coach, Aimee Rees, and a product of the hard work she's put in. It's great to be able to fly the Welsh flag for the team."
Nicholas, who has been playing for Wales Women since 2005 and witnessed the game's development in that time, also says that showing young Welsh cricketers what they can achieve is a big part of the game.
"Having Welsh players involved is exciting for all of us," Nicholas said. "Not only does it show how far we've come in producing young talent that can play at this level, but that girls in Wales will look at the side and see that Wales plays a big part in Western Storm and that we aren't being overlooked."
Western Storm will play each team in their group home and away, with Finals Day between the two group winners set for 26 September at Edgbaston.
Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy groups
North: Central Sparks, Lightning, Northern Diamonds, Thunder
South: South East Stars, Southern Vipers, Sunrisers, Western Storm
Western Storm fixtures:
Saturday 29 August vs South East Stars, Beckenham (Kent)
Monday 31 August vs Southern Vipers, Bristol
Saturday 5 September vs Sunrisers, CloudFM County Ground (Chelmsford)
Friday 11 September vs South East Stars, Bristol
Sunday 13 September vs Southern Vipers, Ageas Bowl (Southampton)
Saturday 19 September vs Sunrisers, Bristol
