Charlotte Edwards Cup winner and Australia international Heather Graham has penned a deal to re-join The Blaze for the majority of the 2025 Women\u2019s Vitality Blast.<\/p>\n
The experienced all-rounder will be available for ten Vitality Blast fixtures in addition to Finals Day, beginning with the trip to the Kia Oval on Wednesday 11 June. She will also be available to partake in 50-over cricket before the commencement of The Hundred in August.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had an incredible time with The Blaze last year and I\u2019m very happy to be returning in 2025,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven in a relatively short space of time last summer, I could tell that this is a special group of players – both in terms of ability and the togetherness that the squad has.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo complete such a strong T20 campaign last summer by lifting the trophy was a great experience – and with the women\u2019s game in England only getting bigger and bigger, I\u2019m hungry to contribute however I can to repeating that success.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arriving mid-way through the 2024 campaign, the 28-year-old became an influential part of The Blaze\u2019s triumph in the Charlotte Edwards Cup, taking 15 wickets across the tournament before striking the winning runs in a thrilling final against South East Stars at Derby\u2019s County Ground in June.<\/p>\n
She averaged 9.20 with the ball across seven T20 appearances for The Blaze last year, announcing her arrival with figures of 4\/10 in the skittling of Western Storm for 99.<\/p>\n
Her career-best List A figures came in the colours of The Blaze, taking 6\/39 against South East Stars at Beckenham.<\/p>\n
In total, the Australian has taken over 300 white-ball wickets to her name, and has four centuries and 19 half-centuries to her name.<\/p>\n
She has been capped by her country on six occasions in white-ball cricket – most recently in the Southern Stars\u2019 T20 whitewash of New Zealand last autumn.<\/p>\n
\u201cHeather\u2019s experience and skillset proved invaluable to us in 2024,\u201d said Director of Women\u2019s Cricket, James Cutt.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe made a significant impact on our results, and her qualities as a leader shone through on many occasions – not least on Finals Day last summer.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is particularly impressive about her is her ability to contribute across all facets of the game, and her consistency of performance across both white-ball formats.<\/p>\n
\u201cHeather is not only a leader on the field but a fantastic person off it, too. We want great characters at the heart of our dressing room and we know that is what we\u2019ll get with Heather\u2019s addition.\u201d<\/p>\n