Leah Poulton Appointed Managing Director of England Women’s Cricket
The England and Wales Cricket Board has turned to an Australian to shape the future of English women’s cricket, appointing former batter Leah Poulton as managing director of England women.
Poulton, 42, will take up the role in November, stepping into the post vacated by Clare Connor. She arrives with a packed CV and a clear mandate: drive performance and sharpen England’s edge at the top of the women’s game.
From Sydney to Lord’s
Poulton played 90 times for Australia and has since built a reputation as one of the most influential off-field figures in the women’s game there. Her coaching and development work has spanned some of the most competitive environments in world cricket.
She served as assistant coach at Sydney Thunder and Sydney Sixers in the Women’s Big Bash League, helping to nurture and refine talent in a competition that has become a global benchmark. At Cricket New South Wales, she worked as pathway manager and assistant coach for the NSW Breakers, before moving into a broader strategic role.
A stint as high performance coach at Cricket Australia was followed by her appointment as head of elite female cricket at Cricket NSW, a position she has held for the past six years. That job put her at the heart of Australia’s production line of elite women cricketers.
Now, that expertise crosses the divide.
A Clear Brief – and High Stakes
The ECB has made the scope of Poulton’s new role unambiguous. She will be accountable for the performances of England women, England women A and England women U19s, as well as the overall effectiveness and reputation of the women’s high-performance system.
This is not a ceremonial title. It is a pressure post.
Working closely with England women’s head coach Charlotte Edwards and captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, Poulton is expected to set a “clear, unified vision” for a side that wants to win consistently on the world stage, not just compete.
Her arrival comes with the women’s Ashes on the horizon. Australia will visit next summer, bringing with them the standard England ultimately measure themselves against. An Australian architect now helping design England’s challenge only adds to the intrigue.
Poulton’s Vision
Poulton has made it clear where she intends to start: people and pathways.
“I’m incredibly excited and honoured to be joining England and to have the opportunity to help shape our programmes and, most importantly, invest in our people,” she said.
She spoke of building on “strong foundations already in place” and pushing the programme forward with Edwards, Sciver-Brunt and the wider set-up. For someone steeped in Australia’s system, the message was familiar: long-term success rests on what happens beneath the senior side.
“I know how vital strong pathways and a healthy domestic game are to sustained success,” she said, underlining her intention to connect with stakeholders across the game and give the next generation of English players “every opportunity to thrive”.
That line will resonate at every county and regional hub. England’s domestic structure has grown rapidly in recent years; Poulton’s task is to turn that growth into a relentless, reliable talent stream.
She called it “a huge privilege to be part of England women” and made no attempt to hide her impatience: she “can’t wait to get started”.
End of One Era, Start of Another
Poulton’s appointment follows the news that Clare Connor will leave her ECB role after the Women’s T20 World Cup. Connor has been central to the professionalisation and expansion of the women’s game in England; Poulton inherits both the progress and the expectations that come with it.
An Australian in charge of England women’s high-performance vision, an Ashes summer looming, and a generation of young players pushing through.
The stage is set.
