With the new season nearly here, we continue our catch-up with our senior captains for 2026. We’ve spoken to nine of our 11 captains so far and we’ve just got our 1st XI skippers left to hear from. We’ll hear about their plans for the months ahead, what games they are looking forward to and what they have been up to over the winter months.

In the modern game there are often now situations where the captaincy of a side is split, and our Women’s 1st XI will be no exception to this in 2026, with Zoe Quested skippering the side in the EWPL Division 1 games and Dani Cox taking charge for the matches in the 100 Cup. We caught up with both of them ahead of the new season.

A change for this year then, with two captains across two different competitions. How did that come about??
ZQ: To be honest, it came from my family and work commitments, with my kids requiring a lot more time getting to their sporting activities. I really needed to pass over some responsibility. Dani has a lot more cricket experience than me and has played at a much higher level. I didn’t want to completely step away from the captaincy, so we came up with the idea of her being my vice-captain this year and her captaining the 100 Cup matches. Dani’s kids are much older than mine and therefore she is more capable to help me out and support me.

DC: I think coming back to the sport after nearly 13 years out made me realise that you never lose the instincts of being a captain and leading a team. As the season progressed, I could see Zoe struggle at times with her time and commitments, so I was happy to step up and help, and when she asked if I wanted to step into the vice-captaincy and take on the 100 competition, the answer was always an easy yes!! Me and Zoe complement each other well, with different strengths on the field which will hopefully give us a better perspective during games.

Last year was a solid one for the 1st XI in the end. What are the aims for this season??
ZQ: My aims for this season are pretty similar to last year. We have a lot of youngsters who will be having exams, so we will need to try and ensure the senior players can be strong and in great form.

DC: Specifically for the 100 competition, I would like to see us reach Finals Day. The format is different this year, with one game in the rounds, then onto semi-finals. We have an advantage in that we only have to play one game on rounds day, instead of two like all others, so I think with the team we have, we are certainly capable of that.
In terms of the league, I would like to see consistency from each player, whether that be with the bat, ball or fielding, allowing us to use the strengths of each player to our advantage.

A number of youngsters moved into the side in 2025. What are you looking for from them this summer??
ZQ: This year we really need them to kick on and get comfortable being at 1st XI level and hopefully become regulars in the 1s. We will need to bring in some fresh youngsters this year too, due to the exam season and holidays, so we really want them to walk into a secure and comfortable squad for this to work effectively.

DC: I think the youngsters have a great platform at UCC to achieve whatever they want in terms of their cricket. I would hope that having experienced older players that have been through many of the same County set-ups gives them inspiration to push ahead and achieve. But I think it starts from our (mine and Zoe’s) support and belief in them on the pitch!!

The women's sides have played a lot of indoor games this winter. Do you think that will help performances at the start of the season??
ZQ: I only played in one so Dani can answer that!!

DC: I would like to think the success we had indoors this winter will translate to the outdoor season. The girls adapted to different scenarios very well and hopefully we can use that to build on as we move outdoors.

Apart from indoor games, have you both been to any pre-season sessions ahead of the summer??
ZQ: I haven’t been to any training this year. I have been playing hockey this winter and that has certainly helped with my fitness and hand eye co-ordination. Indoor sessions have fallen at the same time as the kids’ other sports commitments, so I haven’t managed to make it, but I am hoping to get a net in before the season starts.

DC: I haven’t been able to make much team training during the winter, but I have been having 2:1 sessions with Beardy (Aaron Beard) and my sister (Jami Armes), which has allowed me to work on some specific issues I have with my game. I’m looking forward to outdoor training beginning and getting back out there on the field on 26th April.