Alex Hartley

Alexandra Hartley, born on September 6, 1993, in Blackburn, Lancashire, began her cricketing journey early, making her county debut for Lancashire at 14 in 2008. She quickly established herself as a consistent left-arm orthodox spin bowler. Her early career saw her become Lancashire’s joint-leading wicket-taker in the 2009 County Championship and the leading wicket-taker in the 2010 Women’s Twenty20 Cup. She also played for the England Under-17s side, showcasing her potential from a young age.

Hartley’s career progressed with a move to Middlesex in 2013 to play Division 1 Championship cricket, where she continued to excel, becoming the leading wicket-taker for her team in the 2014 Championship. Her talent was further recognised when she was named in the Surrey Stars squad for the inaugural Women’s Cricket Super League in 2016, becoming the team’s leading wicket-taker. A significant milestone in her career came between 2016 and 2019, when she represented England in 28 One Day Internationals and four Twenty20 Internationals, culminating in her being a key part of the squad that won the 2017 Women’s Cricket World Cup. During the 2016 ODI series against the West Indies, she set a record for England in a bilateral ODI series by taking 13 wickets, and later that year was named one of the players in the ICC Women’s ODI Team of the Year. In 2020, Hartley was appointed captain of the North West Thunder and became one of 41 female cricketers to sign a full-time domestic contract.

Beyond her playing career, Hartley has developed a strong media presence. In December 2019, she co-launched “No Balls: The Cricket Podcast” with teammate Kate Cross, which later joined BBC Sounds and has won multiple ‘Best Cricket Podcast’ awards. Hartley also regularly contributes to BBC’s “Test Match Special” coverage for various cricket series and tournaments, including the 2020 and 2021 ICC Men’s and Women’s T20 World Cups. In October 2023, she expanded her involvement in cricket by being appointed the Multan Sultans spin bowling coach for the 2024 and 2025 Pakistan Super League seasons, marking a transition into coaching while maintaining her media commitments. In May 2023, Hartley announced a temporary break from playing to focus on mental health, returning later that year and subsequently announcing her full retirement from playing cricket after the conclusion of The Hundred season.