Isabelle Westbury

Isabelle Mary Geraldine Westbury (born 8 March 1990) is a sports writer, broadcaster and lawyer.[1][2][3] She is a former international cricketer and President of the Oxford Union. She was captain of Middlesex[4] for two seasons and a member of the Western Storm[5] in the Kia Super League, having previously played for the England Academy. A right-handed batter and off break bowler, she played for Somerset until 2012. She was president of the Oxford Union in 2011 and has been described as "the most engaging president that the Oxford Union has had in years".[6]

Isabelle Westbury

Isabelle Westbury chasing a ball in the field, 2016
Personal information
Full name	Isabelle Mary Geraldine Westbury
Born	8 March 1990 Hammersmith, London, England
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm off break
International information
National side	Netherlands
Only ODI (cap 67)	19 August 2005 v Ireland
Domestic team information
Years	Team
2007–2012	Somerset
2013–2017	Middlesex
2016	Western Storm
Career statistics
Competition WODI WLO WT20 Matches 1 55 28 Runs scored 0 461 198 Batting average 0.00 12.45 13.20 100s/50s 0/0 0/0 0/0 Top score 0 43 33* Balls bowled 60 2,239 540 Wickets 0 66 36 Bowling average – 22.50 13.50 5 wickets in innings 0 1 0 10 wickets in match n/a n/a n/a Best bowling 0/58 5/20 4/15 Catches/stumpings 1/– 30/– 8/–
Source: CricketArchive, 1 July 2018

Westbury began playing cricket in the Netherlands, and represented the country at both the 2004 and 2006 European Under-21 Championships. She made her senior international debut at the 2005 European Championship. During this tournament, she also made her only One Day International appearance, playing for the Netherlands against Ireland. She moved to England in 2006 to study, and joined Somerset for the 2007 season, where she played until signing for Middlesex. In 2010, she was selected as part of the England Academy, travelling to India for the High Performance Camp.

Cricket career

The Netherlands

Born in Hammersmith, London, Isabelle Westbury experienced a nomadic childhood, living in Mongolia, Malaysia, Easter Island and Syria before arriving in the Netherlands.[7] She attended The British School in the Netherlands from 2001 to 2006.[8] It was in the Netherlands that she first started playing cricket, after being prevented from playing club football alongside boys beyond the age of 13, at the "very traditional club" near her house.[7] Turning to cricket instead, Westbury played boys cricket for The Hague Cricket Club,[8] and was picked for the national side aged just 14, making her first appearance at the 2004 European Under-21 Championships.[9] Playing as wicket-keeper, she claimed one catch and then scored 15 not out batting from number nine as Ireland won by 98 runs.[10] In the Netherlands' second match of the competition, she moved down to number eleven, and remained unbeaten without scoring when England secured a 219-run victory with over 10 overs remaining.[11] Another loss in the final match of the competition ensured that the Netherlands finished bottom of the table—Westbury scored five runs as no Dutch batsman managed to reach double figures against Scotland.[12]

In 2005, aged 15, Westbury represented the senior Netherlands side for the first time during the 2005 European Championship in Wales.[13] Unlike her appearances for the Under-21s, which she made as wicket-keeper, Westbury played as a bowler for the duration of the tournament, batting in the lower order. She claimed three wickets during the tournament at an average of 46.66.[14] Only required to bat twice, she scored 1 and 0*, made during losses against England Development Squad and Ireland respectively.

The 2006 European Under-21 Championships saw Westbury reprise her role as wicket-keeper batsman for the youth side. The Netherlands were much improved from the 2004 tournament; after a heavy loss to England in a warm-up match, the Netherlands won their final match to finish runners-up behind England.[15] She scored 30 in the second match, a loss to Ireland, as only herself and Lotte Egging reached double figures for the Netherlands.[16] She made her highest total for the Under-21s in the final match of the competition, scoring 75 before being run out as the Netherlands reached 180 off their 50 overs, and then bowled Scotland out, achieving a 95 run victory.[17] She finished the competition as the leading run-scorer and won the Player of the Tournament for her achievements.[18]

England

Westbury started at Millfield School in Street, Somerset in 2006 on a sports scholarship.[8] She joined Somerset for the 2007 County Championship.[13] After her first match, in which she batted at number nine, and was 19 not out at the close of the innings,[19] she opened the innings for the county for the remainder of the season. She enjoyed mixed success in the role, and finished the season with a batting average of 19.75, the third-best for Somerset.[20]

Remaining with Somerset in 2008, she claimed her first wicket for the county during their first match of the season, having Surrey opener Ebony-Jewel Rainford-Brent caught.[21] She appeared in the Super Fours—a competition in which the England selectors place the 48 leading players into four teams—for the first time in 2008, representing the Diamonds in both the 50-over and 20-over forms of the game.[13][22] She bowled economically in the Twenty20 semi-final, helping to limit the Sapphires to 123, which Diamonds chased down successfully with a ball to spare.[23] She remained economical in the final, but despite restricting the Rubies to 110, Diamonds could only reach 106 in their reply.[24] In three 50-over Super Fours matches, she was less effective; her only wicket coming in the first match. Returning to the County Championship, Westbury dropped down into the lower order batting, while at the same time seeing her workload with the ball increasing. Somerset were rewarded in the match against Lancashire when she claimed five-wickets in the innings for the first time to set up a 132 run win.[25] She continued her form in the following match, claiming four wickets against Warwickshire, conceding only four runs.[26] She finished the season as Somerset's leading wicket-taker, claiming her twelve wickets at an average of 6.41.[27] Westbury also competed in the Junior Super Fours—for 16- to 19-year-old female cricketers—towards the end of the 2008 season.[9] Appearing for Junior Emeralds, she improved as the tournament progressed, following up scores of 18 and 27 with the tournament's highest score, 89, in the final match.[28][29][30] She finished as the competition's second-highest run-scorer.[31][32][33][34]

The 2009 County Championship campaign saw Westbury's form dip from the previous season. Playing in five of Somerset's ten matches, she scored 18 runs at an average under four,[35] and her three wickets came at 38.66.[36] Her performances in the Junior Super Fours, however, continued to improve with both bat and ball. Named as captain of the Junior Emeralds, Westbury led by example in the opening match, taking three wickets and limiting the Rubies to 21 runs off her eight overs, and then top-scoring with 37 for her side in their successful chase.[37] She bowled even more economically in the following match, conceding 12 runs off 10 overs, once again claiming three wickets. Opening the batting for the Emeralds in their reply—as she had done in the first match—she made 46 runs, sharing a partnership of 102 with fellow opener Beth MacGregor to help set up a seven wicket victory.[38] The Emerald's final match saw the Sapphires score more effectively off her bowling, totalling 30 runs from her 10 overs, but Westbury replied with an unbeaten century to propel her side to another seven wicket win.[39] Her 187 runs and 7 wickets ensured she finished the tournament as the most prolific batsman and bowler,[40][41] as the Emeralds won after remaining undefeated.[42]

In January 2010, Westbury was named as part of the England Academy squad for the High Performance Camp in Bangalore, India.[43] Westbury joined Middlesex in 2013, and was made captain the following year.[44] In 2016, she signed for the Western Storm in the inaugural Kia Super League, but did not play a game.

Personal life

Westbury studied as an undergraduate at Hertford College, Oxford.[7][8] In addition to her cricket career, she also played hockey for Oxford, achieving her Blue by playing in the Varsity Hockey Match against Cambridge in March 2010.[45] In 2011, she was elected as President of the Oxford Union, having earlier served as the society's secretary.[46][47] Westbury is a sports writer for The Daily Telegraph and broadcasts for the BBC.

References

1. "BBC Radio 5 Live - Test Match Special". BBC Radio 5 Live. 8 November 2019.
2. "The Telegraph - Isabelle Westbury". The Telegraph. 7 November 2019.
3. "The Law Society". 8 November 2019.
4. "Western Storm". Archived from the original on 19 September 2016. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
5. "ESPNCricinfo - Western Storm 2016". ESPNCricinfo. 8 November 2019.
6. Walker, Tim (28 October 2011). "Oxford Union takes a pop at David Cameron". The Daily Telegraph.
7. Lester, James (6 February 2010). "The Pro". Cherwell. Oxford Student Publications Ltd. Archived from the original on 17 November 2016. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
8. "Player Profile: Izzy Westbury". MCC University. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
9. "Other matches played by Izzy Westbury (23)". CricketArchive. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
10. "Ireland Under-21s Women v Netherlands Under-21s Women". CricketArchive. 10 August 2004. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
11. "England Under-21s Women v Netherlands Under-21s Women". CricketArchive. 11 August 2004. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
12. "Netherlands Under-21s Women v Scotland Under-21s Women". CricketArchive. 12 August 2004. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
13. "Women's ListA Matches played by Izzy Westbury (22)". CricketArchive. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
14. "Bowling for Netherlands Women: Women's European Championship 2005". CricketArchive. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
15. "Women's European Under-21 Championship 2006 Table". CricketArchive. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
16. "Netherlands Under-21s Women v Ireland Under-21s Women". CricketArchive. 16 August 2006. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
17. "Netherlands Under-21s Women v Scotland Under-21s Women". CricketArchive. 17 August 2006. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
18. "Batting and Fielding in Women's European Under-21 Championship 2006 (Ordered by Average)". CricketArchive. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
19. "Somerset Women v Surrey Women". CricketArchive. 19 May 2007. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
20. "Batting and Fielding for Somerset Women: LV Women's County Championship 2007". CricketArchive. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
21. "Surrey Women v Somerset Women". CricketArchive. 18 May 2008. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
22. "Women's Twenty20 Matches played by Izzy Westbury (2)". CricketArchive. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
23. "Diamonds v Sapphires". CricketArchive. 26 May 2008. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
24. "Diamonds v Rubies". CricketArchive. 26 May 2008. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
25. "Somerset Women v Lancashire Women". CricketArchive. 30 July 2008. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
26. "Somerset Women v Warwickshire Women". CricketArchive. 31 July 2008. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
27. "Bowling for Somerset Women: LV Women's County Championship 2008". CricketArchive. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
28. "Junior Emeralds v Junior Rubies". CricketArchive. 19 August 2008. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
29. "Junior Diamonds v Junior Emeralds". CricketArchive. 20 August 2008. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
30. "Junior Emeralds v Junior Sapphires". CricketArchive. 22 August 2008. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
31. "Batting and Fielding for Junior Diamonds: Junior Super Fours 2008". CricketArchive. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
32. "Batting and Fielding for Junior Emeralds: Junior Super Fours 2008". CricketArchive. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
33. "Batting and Fielding for Junior Rubies: Junior Super Fours 2008". CricketArchive. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
34. "Batting and Fielding for Junior Sapphires: Junior Super Fours 2008". CricketArchive. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
35. "Batting and Fielding for Somerset Women: LV Women's County Championship 2009". CricketArchive. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
36. "Bowling for Somerset Women: LV Women's County Championship 2009". CricketArchive. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
37. "Junior Emeralds v Junior Rubies". CricketArchive. 18 August 2009. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
38. "Junior Diamonds v Junior Emeralds". CricketArchive. 19 August 2009. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
39. "Junior Emeralds v Junior Sapphires". CricketArchive. 21 August 2009. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
40. "Batting and Fielding in Junior Super Fours 2009 (Ordered by Runs)". CricketArchive. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
41. "Bowling in Junior Super Fours 2009 (Ordered by Wickets)". CricketArchive. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
42. "Junior Super Fours 2009 Table". CricketArchive. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
43. "Academy squad named for Bangalore". England and Wales Cricket Board. 28 January 2010. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
44. "News in brief: Fulham U21s lose, Blues face Liverpool, Petrasso award". West London Sport. 17 December 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
45. "Varsity Hockey action sees Oxford enjoy double delight". North London Press. Tindle Newspapers Ltd. 4 March 2010. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
46. "Union Tribunal goes West for Jack Sennett". Cherwell. Oxford Student Publications Limited. 14 March 2011. Retrieved 18 March 2011.
47. "Union Election Results". Cherwell. Oxford Student Publications Limited. 30 November 2010. Retrieved 14 December 2010.

External links

• Isabelle Westbury at ESPNcricinfo