The England and Wales Cricket Board has crossed the Ashes divide to appoint Australian Leah Poulton as managing director of England women – a bold move at a pivotal moment for the women’s game.
Poulton, 42, will take up the role in November, succeeding Clare Connor and stepping into one of the most influential positions in world women’s cricket. A former top-order batter who represented Australia 90 times, she arrives with a reputation for building structures, not just teams.
This is not a ceremonial appointment. The ECB has made it clear that Poulton will be accountable for the performances of England women, England women A and England women U19s, as well as the strength and reputation of the entire women’s high-performance system. In short, the pathway from teenage prospect to Ashes match-winner will sit under her watch.
Her coaching and development credentials run deep. Poulton has served as assistant coach at Sydney Thunder and Sydney Sixers in the Women’s Big Bash League, worked as pathway manager and assistant coach for the NSW Breakers, and held a high performance coach role at Cricket Australia. For the past six years she has been head of elite female cricket at Cricket New South Wales, a period in which Australian domestic structures have been widely regarded as the benchmark.
Now that expertise shifts to England.
She will work closely with England women’s head coach Charlotte Edwards and captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, with the ECB stating that the trio will be charged with setting a “clear, unified vision” for England women to “consistently succeed on the world stage”. The brief is unambiguous: align the dressing room, the academy and the domestic game behind one relentless standard.
The timing is no coincidence. England will host Australia in a women’s Ashes series next summer, a contest that will test not only the national side but the depth and resilience of the entire system Poulton is coming in to shape. An Australian helping to plot England’s route to regaining the Ashes adds a compelling edge.
Poulton called the role “incredibly exciting” and “a huge privilege”, stressing her desire to invest in people as much as programmes. She spoke of building on “strong foundations” and driving the programme forward alongside Edwards, Sciver-Brunt and the wider team.
Her emphasis on pathways was pointed. Poulton highlighted the importance of a healthy domestic game and strong development routes as the bedrock of sustained success, and underlined her intention to connect with people across the game to give the next generation of English players every chance to thrive.
Connor, who has been a central figure in the rise of women’s cricket in England, will leave her ECB role after the Women’s T20 World Cup. Poulton steps into that vacancy with English cricket at an inflection point: professional contracts expanding, crowds growing, expectations rising.
Now the question is simple and unforgiving: can an Australian architect build the structure that finally puts England back on top of the women’s game?
