Craig Cumming, a New Zealander, appointed head coach of The Blaze

Craig Cumming participated in 24 Test matches and One Day Internationals for New Zealand. The Blaze has appointed Craig Cumming, a former batter for New Zealand, to the position of head coach. Cumming is taking over from Chris Guest, who departed the women’s team based at Trent Bridge to become the England women Under-19 performance lead. The 49-year-old is transitioning to English cricket, having previously won the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield twice in the last three years while coaching the Otago Sparks. He is scheduled to assume leadership of The Blaze following the conclusion of Otago’s most recent Super Smash T20 tournament in the new year. James Cutt, The Blaze’s director of cricket, informed the club website that “Guesty’s departure gave us an opportunity to look at how we could move forward from a position of strength, having put together such a strong record over the past two summers.” He further stated, “We conducted an exhaustive, global search to find the best candidate, and – amongst some very strong applicants – Craig’s credentials and pedigree were the most compelling.” The Blaze is one of eight fully professional, county-based teams set to participate in the T20 Blast and One-Day Cup in 2025, as part of a reorganization of the women’s domestic game. Cumming is assuming the role of head coach for a team that reached three of the last four domestic finals under the former regional format and secured victory in the Charlotte Edwards Cup earlier this year. He also commented, “I’m ambitious to help deliver more of the success they have had in the past couple of seasons.”