All-rounder Francesca Sweet signs two-year deal with Hampshire

All-rounder Francesca Sweet has signed a two-year contract with Hampshire following a successful trial period with the club.

Sweet, 21, was born in Sussex and has represented Berkshire and Leicestershire and recently signed for Glamorgan in Tier Two, who will be promoted to Tier One in 2027.

She also featured for the Challengers, a team run to bridge the gap between Tier Two and Tier One.

The right-hander scored 81 off 73 balls on debut for the Challengers against The Blaze on the way to a four-run victory.

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Excited

Playing for Surrey against Hampshire in the Second XI 50-over competition, Sweet fell just three runs shy of a century and was the only Surrey player to make it past 20.

Upon signing for the county, she said: “I’m really excited to join Hampshire, everyone at the club has been very welcoming whilst I’ve been trialling.

“The opportunity wouldn’t have come about without the Challengers and I’m grateful to them for helping set up the trial.

“It’s a really strong group to be a part of. I’ve enjoyed getting to know everyone, and I hope I can make an impact on the pitch over the next couple of years.”

Impact

For the Foxes in 2025, Sweet notched up 315 runs at an average just shy of 40 in the Women’s Metro Bank One Day Cup League Two.

She passed 50 three times and top scored with 138 off 117 balls against Derbyshire in the competition as Leicestershire finished in eighth. 

In the Vitality Blast League Two, Sweet was the second-leading run-scorer in the competition with 296 as Leicestershire reached Finals Day at Northampton.

Adam Carty, regional director of women’s cricket for Hampshire, said: “In Francesca, we feel we have unearthed a player, with the aid of our friends at the Challengers, who has all the physical attributes and personal characteristics to have a meaningful impact on the women’s domestic game for years to come.

“She presents vigour and enthusiasm for the game and the opportunity presented, and has fitted into the group seamlessly.

“She is a batter of much potential and has an obvious ability to strike the ball as cleanly as any player we have on our roster.”

Valuable

He concluded: “She may yet prove to be a valuable medium pacer in time, and we are very excited at what the future may hold for Cesca, and we wish her well at the club.”

For Berkshire, Sweet scored 107 runs at a strike rate of 142 across four innings in the tier three One Day Cup, and 131 runs at a strike rate of 170 across two innings in the Vitality Blast League Three.

Having signed for Glamorgan, Sweet will be loaned to the county when available and not playing for Hampshire.

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