The Devon Cricket Foundation is delighted to announce the appointment of Steph Hutchins as Head of Women & Girls' Pathway.

The role, in partnership with the University of Exeter, will see Steph become responsible for the whole Women & Girls' Performance Pathway in Devon, structuring and delivering on it in such a way that enables players to reach their potential, whilst contributing to the University of Exeter's women's cricket programme.

Steph's involvement with Devon goes back to 2011 when she joined the Under 13 Girls, moving into coaching for the Performance Pathway in 2017, where she helped develop many of her future Devon Women teammates, including Ellie Bishop, Emma Corney, Ruby Davis, Katie Donovan, Eliza Heard, Georgia Read and Jemima Vereker.

As she enters her tenth season with Devon Women, Steph is excited to settle into her new role and help new players along the same pathway as hers:

"It's quite hard to put into words, it's all a bit surreal. It has been a dream for me to work on the Performance Pathway for Devon for a long time and I'm very excited to get started!

"The fact we have got to the point where roles like mine exist in the female game shows just how far we have come in such a short period of time. Hopefully, the next generation of players can now see there is a clear pathway all the way up to the professional game and I am looking forward to developing players on their cricketing journeys."

Speaking on the appointment, Devon Cricket Foundation (DCF) CEO, Matt Theedom, said:

"We are delighted to welcome Steph to DCF. Her role will be instrumental in identifying, inspiring and nurturing talent in Devon, and we are excited to continue our strong partnership with the University of Exeter through her appointment.

"It is heartwarming to offer the position to one of our own: she has been through our Performance Pathway all the way to captaining Devon Women. While she is still young, Steph brings plenty of experience and today is a testament to her hard work."

As part of her role, Steph will also be working on the University of Exeter's Women's programme, providing support to deliver high-quality training sessions focused on individual player growth and team performance. Speaking on the partnership, University of Exeter's Head of Cricket, Max Waller said:

"We are delighted to welcome Steph Hutchins as the Head of Women & Girls' Pathway at the Devon Cricket Foundation, in partnership with the University of Exeter.

"Steph brings a wealth of experience and passion to the role, and we are confident that her leadership will significantly enhance the development opportunities for female cricketers in Devon and at the University. This appointment underscores our commitment to fostering talent and promoting inclusivity within the sport.."