Alex Hartley steps down as Thunder captain

The former England left-arm spinner is one of the north-west hub's seven contracted players and has captained the region since the revamp of the domestic structure

Alex Hartley has stepped down as captain of Thunder ahead of the women's domestic season.

The former England left-arm spinner is one of the north-west hub's seven contracted players and was the most high-profile recipient of a regional deal when they were first handed out in the summer of 2020.

Since then, she has picked up 23 wickets in 19 matches across the Charlotte Edwards Cup and Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, while also juggling a burgeoning broadcast career.

As well as hosting the No Balls podcast alongside teammate Kate Cross, she has also emerged as a regular member of BBC's commentary team.

"I am so proud to have captained Thunder over the last couple of seasons and the decision to step down as captain has been a difficult one to make," said Hartley.

^{Hartley has also left Manchester Originals to join Welsh Fire in The Hundred (Nathan Stirk/Getty Images)}

"However, I feel that now is the right time for me to step back and allow somebody else to take up the opportunity. I am looking forward to re-joining the ranks and helping Thunder to achieve all of our goals this summer.

"It's been a privilege to captain this team but now it’s time for me to enjoy my cricket and help the team in other ways moving forward."

It has been a winter of change for Hartley, who has also left Manchester Originals, for whom she played in the inaugural edition of The Hundred, to join Welsh Fire.