Former Portsmouth Grammar School pupil Charlie Dean wins first senior England women’s international call-up

Charlie Dean in batting action for Southern Vipers. Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images.

Former Portsmouth Grammar School pupil Charlie Dean has been called up for the senior England Women’s squad for the first time.

The Southern Vipers all-rounder and her club colleague Maia Bouchier are included in the squad for the three-match Vitality IT20 series against New Zealand.

They are the only additions to the group which overcame India 2-1 in the IT20s in July.

Dean, 20, is a former Havant CC youngster and made her T20 debut for Hampshire in 2016. She appeared for the Vipers in seven Kia Women’s T20 Super League between 2017-19 and recently played eight games in The Hundred for London Spirit, finishing as their second highest wicket-taker with six.

Dean, the daughter of former Staffordshire and Havant batsman Steve Dean, took five wickets on her debut for the Portsmouth Grammar School boys’ first XI in 2017. That was a year after captaining Hampshire Under-15s to victory in the Royal London County Cup.

She captained the county at under-17 level in 2017, even though she was only an under-16 player.

England head coach Lisa Keightley said: ‘We’re looking at more players than ever before, which is so exciting.

‘In the past selection meetings have by necessity been quite focused on the Centrally Contracted group, but the fact that so many other players are sticking their hand up and pushing for selection is testament to the progress the domestic structure is allowing the women’s game to make.

‘We’re seeing improvements across the board, and there were a number of young English players who also shone in The Hundred, which bodes really well for the future.

‘This is another big series for us, and I want the team to continue from where they left off in the series win over India.’

The Vitality IT20 series gets underway on Wednesday, September 1 at Chelmsford. Other games take place at Hove (September 4) and Taunton (September 9).

Squad: Heather Knight (Western Storm, captain), Tammy Beaumont (Lightning), Maia Bouchier (Southern Vipers), Katherine Brunt (Northern Diamonds), Freya Davies (South East Stars), Charlie Dean (Southern Vipers), Sophia Dunkley (South East Stars), Sophie Ecclestone (Thunder), Tash Farrant (South East Stars), Sarah Glenn (Central Sparks), Amy Jones (Central Sparks), Nat Sciver (Northern Diamonds, vice cap), Anya Shrubsole (Western Storm), Mady Villiers (Sunrisers), Danni Wyatt (Southern Vipers)