WHITCHURCH cricketer Eve Jones will once again be playing professionally after securing a contract with West Midlands Cricket.

Eve, 27, is joined by Issy Wong and Marie Kelly as the first three professional players to be handed the contracts and will hopefully play for the West Midlands in the England and Wales Cricket Board's (ECB) new eight-team regional tournament – Covid-19 regulations permitting.

The West Midlands is one of eight regional hubs developed by the ECB as part of a new structure for elite women’s domestic cricket.

The team will play in a 50-over national tournament in 2020, with plans to extend to T20 as well in 2021.

Eve was also named in the Birmingham Phoenix Women’s Hundred team recently.

Eve has a long standing connection with Whitchurch, as a member of Whitchurch CC.

She has played regularly for the club over the years alongside her other commitments, and has also represented Shropshire at age group and senior level and is also now involved in coaching the county girls' age group sides.

The left-hand top order bat and left-arm bowler, was part of Kia Super League (KSL) from its inauguration in 2016 and recently made the move to Warwickshire from Lancashire having captained the Red Rose side.

She has experienced winters overseas in Australia and New Zealand and was previously a member of the England Academy squad and has also been heavily involved in the setting up of the new Strategic Leisure Shropshire Women's Hundred competition this year as is one of the ambassadors for the Northern Force.

Laura MacLeod, director of women’s cricket at WMWC, said she was delighted to see Eve and her team mates awarded contracts.

“We’re thrilled to secure Eve, Marie and Issy as our first three players in the West Midlands squad and to award them 4-month retainer contracts," she said.

“In Marie and Eve, we have two players with vast experience of the county game and who have benefitted from playing with and against many of the world’s best in the KSL. Both are also leaders and can play an important role in developing the many talented cricketers who will also be named in the squad in the coming weeks.”