New Zealand right-arm seamer, Lea Tahuhu (pictured above), has signed to play for Surrey Stars in the inaugural edition of the Kia Super League (KSL), which gets underway this weekend. Tahuhu steps into Natalie Sciver’s Stars dressing room in place of Meg Lanning, after the Australian captain was ruled out from taking part in the competition last week due to a shoulder injury.
Renowned as one of the fastest bowlers in the world, Tahuhu will complete a formidable seam bowling line-up for the Stars, joining South Africa’s Marizanne Kapp and Australian Rene Farrell.
Tahuhu will arrive in the UK in time for Surrey Stars’ first fixture of the tournament on Sunday 31st July against Southern Vipers at the Ageas Bowl. She will be one of 18 overseas internationals on show during the round-robin T20 competition, joining the likes of West Indian ICC Women’s World T20 winners, Deandra Dottin, Hayley Matthews (both Lancashire Thunder) and Stafanie Taylor (Western Storm), Australia’s Ellyse Perry (Loughborough Lightning) and Wisden Cricketer of the Year and New Zealand captain, Suzie Bates (Southern Vipers).
Surrey Stars have completed another new signing this week, with left-handed batting all-rounder Naomi Dattani joining the squad as a replacement for Kirstie White, after the wicket-keeper suffered an ankle injury during a warm-up match against Loughborough Lightning last week. England’s Tammy Beaumont will now take on wicket-keeping duties behind the stumps for the Stars.
Surrey Stars General Manager, Ebony Rainford-Brent, said: “Signing a player of the calibre of Lea Tahuhu is a big boost to our squad ahead of our opening match this weekend. Alongside the likes of Natalie Sciver, Laura Marsh, Alex Hartley, Rene Farrell and Marizanne Kapp, we now have a very strong bowling attack and I look forward to seeing them in action.
“It is a shame to lose Kirstie White from the squad but she is working hard to regain her fitness and make herself available should we encounter anymore injury issues in the latter stages of the competition. Naomi is a great replacement however, and we all look forward to the contributions she can make for the Stars throughout the tournament.”
Kia Super League 2016 Squad Lists
| Lancashire Thunder | Loughborough Lightning | Southern Vipers |
| Kate Cross (EW) | Georgia Elwiss (EW) | Charlotte Edwards (capt) |
| Danielle Wyatt (EW) | Rebecca Grundy (EW) | Natasha Farrant (EW) |
| Deandra Dottin (O) | Amy Jones (EW) | Lydia Greenway |
| Hayley Matthews (O) | Beth Langston (EW) | Suzie Bates (O) |
| Amy Satterthwaite (O) (capt) | Sophie Devine (O) | Sara McGlashan (O) |
| Sophie Ecclestone (EWA) | Ellyse Perry (O) | Morna Nielsen (O) |
| Emma Lamb (EWA) | Dane van Nierkerk (O) | Georgia Adams (EWA) |
| Ellie Threlkeld (EWA) | Evelyn Jones (EWA) | Ellen Burt (EWA) |
| Natalie Brown | Alex MacDonald (EWA) | Katie George (EWA) |
| Georgia Holmes | Georgie Boyce | Arran Brindle |
| Laura Marshall | Thea Brookes | Isabelle Collis |
| Natasha Miles | Amy Gauvrit | Daisy Gardner |
| Laura Newton | Lauren Griffiths | Alice Macleod |
| Nalisha Patel | Sonia Odedra | Fi Morris |
| Paige Scholfield | Carla Rudd | |
| Surrey Stars | Western Storm | Yorkshire Diamonds |
| Tammy Beaumont (EW) | Heather Knight (EW) (capt) | Katherine Brunt (EW) |
| Laura Marsh (EW) | Anya Shrubsole (EW) | Jenny Gunn (EW) |
| Natalie Sciver (EW) (capt) | Fran Wilson (EW) | Danielle Hazell (EW) |
| Rene Farrell (O) | Lizelle Lee (O) | Lauren Winfield (EW) (capt) |
| Marizanne Kapp (O) | Rachel Priest (O) | Alex Blackwell (O) |
| Lea Tahuhu (O) | Stafanie Taylor (O) | Beth Mooney (O) |
| Sophia Dunkley (EWA) | Freya Davies (EWA) | Shabnim Ismail (O) |
| Alex Hartley (EWA) | Sophie Luff (EWA) | Hollie Armitage (EWA) |
| Bryony Smith (EWA) | Amara Carr | Steph Butler (EWA) |
| Aylish Cranstone | Jodie Dibble | Alice Davidson Richards |
| Naomi Dattani | Rosalie Fairbairn | Teresa Graves |
| Grace Gibbs | Georgia Hennessy | Katie Levick |
| Cordelia Griffith | Sophie Mackenzie | Anna Nicholls |
| Raveena Lakhtaria | Cait O’Keefe | Laura Spragg |
| Beth Morgan | Izzy Westbury | Katie Thompson |
- EW = England Women
- O = Overseas
- EWA = England Women’s Academy
Report courtesy of the ECB
