World Cup winners Gill Smith and Susie Clarke (nee Kitson) will appear in this year’s Women’s Cricket County Championship to mark the last time East Anglia, which includes Cambs and Herts, will play in the competition as an Area. They will split into individual counties at the end of this season.

East Anglia will also field Charlotte Edwards, 19, who scored her maiden Test century (108) in the first innings of England’s drawn Test against India which finished on Sunday (July 18).

Smith, from Byfleet in Surrey but a Radlett Vagabonds (Herts) player, was vice-captain in the World Cup when England beat New Zealand in the final at Lord’s to win the trophy for the second time. She retired after the 1993 season.

Clarke, from Cambridge, was a superb all-rounder representing her country until 1995.

The 18th County Championship runs from July 24-28 at University grounds in Cambridge. Yorkshire are defending champions and have won the title for the past seven years. They will field three current senior England players.

East Anglia are in Division Two of three divisions alongside Cheshire, Derbyshire, Sussex, The West and Yorkshire II in the round robin format.

For more information please contact Cath Harris, Media Relations Officer, ECB, on 0171 432 1272 / 0385 527090

Division One     24/07/99      25/07/99      26/07/99      27/07/99       28/07/99
East Midlands    Yorkshire I   Surrey I      Thames Valley West Midlands  Kent
                 Queens        St. John's    Downing       Clare          Pembroke
Kent             Thames Valley West Midlands Surrey I      Yorkshire I    East Midlands
                 Clare         Queens        Kings         Emmanuel       Pembroke
Surrey I         West Midlands East Midlands Kent          Thames Valley  Yorkshire I
                 Downing       St. John's    Kings         Queens         Clare
Thames Valley    Kent          Yorkshire I   East Midlands Surrey I       West Midlands
                 Clare         Pembroke      Downing       Queens         Emmanuel
West Midlands    Surrey I      Kent          Yorkshire I   East Midlands  Thames Valley
                 Downing       Queens        St. John's    Clare          Emmanuel
Yorkshire I      East Midlands Thames Valley West Midlands Kent           Surrey I
                 Queens        Pembroke      St. John's    Emmanuel       Clare

Division Two     24/07/99      25/07/99      26/07/99      27/07/99       28/07/99
Cheshire         The West      Yorkshire II  Derbyshire    Sussex         East Anglia
                 Pembroke      Clare         Queens        St. John's     Fitzwilliam
Derbyshire       East Anglia   The West      Cheshire      Yorkshire II   Sussex
                 St. John's    Kings         Queens        Fitzwilliam    Churchill
East Anglia      Derbyshire    Sussex        Yorkshire II  The West       Cheshire
                 St. John's    Gonville&CaiusEmmanuel      Churchill      Fitzwilliam
Sussex           Yorkshire II  East Anglia   The West      Cheshire       Derbyshire
                 Kings         Gonville&CaiusClare         St. John's     Churchill
The West         Cheshire      Derbyshire    Sussex        East Anglia    Yorkshire II
                 Pembroke      Kings         Clare         Churchill      Queens
Yorkshire II     Sussex        Cheshire      East Anglia   Derbyshire     The West
                 Kings         Clare         Emmanuel      Fitzwilliam    Queens

Division Three   24/07/99        25/07/99       26/07/99       27/07/99       28/07/99
Hampshire        Surrey II       Lancashire     Middlesex      Sussex II      Northumberland
                 Hills Road      Churchill      Fitzwilliam    Gonville&Caius Hills Road
Lancashire       Northumberland  Hampshire      Surrey II      Middlesex      Sussex II
                 Fitzwilliam     Churchill      Gonville&Caius Pembroke       Kings
Middlesex        Sussex II       Northumberland Hampshire      Lancashire     Surrey II
                 Churchill       Hills Road     Fitzwilliam    Pembroke       Downing
Northumberland   Lancashire      Middlesex      Sussex II      Surrey II      Hampshire
                 Fitzwilliam     Hills Road     Pembroke       Kings          Hills Road
Surrey II        Hampshire       Sussex II      Lancashire     Northumberland Middlesex
                 Hills Road      Fitzwilliam    Gonville&Caius Kings          Downing
Sussex II        Middlesex       Surrey II      Northumberland Hampshire      Lancashire
                 Churchill       Fitzwilliam    Pembroke       Gonville&Caius Kings