Thea Brookes

{{short description|English cricketer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}} {{Use British English|date=March 2021}} {{Infobox cricketer | name = Thea Brookes | female = true | image = | alt = | caption = | fullname = Thea Francis Brookes | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1993|2|15|df=yes}} | birth_place = Wordsley, West Midlands, England | nickname = | heightft = | heightinch = | heightcm = | heightm = | batting = Right-handed | bowling = Right-arm off break | role = All-rounder | family =

| international = | country = | internationalspan =

| club1 = Worcestershire | year1 = 2005–2017 | club2 = Loughborough Lightning | year2 = 2016–2017 | club3 = Warwickshire | year3 = 2018–2022 | club4 = Yorkshire Diamonds | year4 = 2018 | club5 = Southern Vipers | year5 = 2019 | club6 = Central Sparks | year6 = 2020–2022 | club7 = Birmingham Phoenix | year7 = 2021 | club8 = Surrey | year8 = {{nowrap|2023–present}}

| columns = 2

| source = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/228/228230/228230.html CricketArchive | date = 23 October | year = 2023 }} '''Thea Francis Brookes''' (born 15 February 1993) is an English cricketer who currently plays for Surrey. An all-rounder, she plays as a right-handed batter and right-arm off break bowler. She previously played for Worcestershire, Warwickshire and Central Sparks, as well as Loughborough Lightning, Yorkshire Diamonds and Southern Vipers in the Women's Cricket Super League and Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred.<ref name="CAprof">{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/228/228230/228230.html|title=Player Profile: Thea Brookes|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=29 March 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/player/515870.html|title=Player Profile: Thea Brookes|publisher=ESPNcricinfo|access-date=29 March 2021}}</ref>

==Domestic career== Brookes made her county debut in 2005, for Worcestershire against Warwickshire.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/130/130591.html|title=Worcestershire Women v Warwickshire Women, 11 June 2005|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=29 March 2021}}</ref> Brookes began to play regularly for Worcestershire in the 2009 season, and hit 224 runs in the County Championship that season, at an average of 37.33.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Events/11/LV_Womens_County_Championship_2009/Worcestershire_Women_Batting.html|title=Batting and Fielding for Worcestershire Women/LV Women's County Championship 2009|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=29 March 2021}}</ref> In 2011, she was the seventh-highest run-scorer across the whole County Championship, with 363 runs at an average of 51.85, as well as hitting 141 runs, the most for Worcestershire, in the Twenty20 Cup.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Events/14/LV_Womens_County_Championship_2011/Batting_by_Runs.html|title=Batting and Fielding in LV Women's County Championship 2011 (Ordered by Runs)|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=29 March 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Events/14/ECB_Womens_Twenty20_Cup_2011/Worcestershire_Women_Batting.html|title=Batting and Fielding for Worcestershire Women/ECB Women's Twenty20 Cup 2011|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=29 March 2021}}</ref> In 2013, Brookes hit her maiden county century, scoring 110* against Wales, as well as taking her List A best bowling figures, of 4/26 against Somerset.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/474/474309.html|title=Worcestershire Women v Wales Women, 14 July 2013|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=29 March 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/474/474277.html|title=Worcestershire Women v Somerset Women, 14 April 2013|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=29 March 2021}}</ref> She was also the joint-second leading wicket-taker across the whole County Championship that season, with 18 wickets.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Events/18/LV_Womens_County_Championship_2013/Bowling_by_Wickets.html | title=Bowling in LV Women's County Championship 2013 (Ordered by Wickets) | publisher=CricketArchive |access-date=29 March 2021}}</ref> In 2015 and 2016, Brookes was successful in the Twenty20 Cup, scoring 260 (third highest overall) and 270 (second highest) runs, respectively.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Events/24/NatWest_Womens_Twenty20_Cup_2015/Batting_by_Runs.html | title=Batting and Fielding in NatWest Women's Twenty20 Cup 2015 (Ordered by Runs) |publisher=CricketArchive |access-date=29 March 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Events/27/NatWest_Womens_Twenty20_Cup_2016/Batting_by_Runs.html | title=Batting and Fielding in NatWest Women's Twenty20 Cup 2016 (Ordered by Runs) |publisher=CricketArchive |access-date=29 March 2021}}</ref> She also hit her List A high score in 2016, with 128 against Leicestershire.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/909/909366.html|title=Leicestershire Women v Worcestershire Women, 29 May 2016|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=29 March 2021}}</ref>

In 2018, Brookes joined Warwickshire, hitting 168 runs at an average of 33.60 in the County Championship that season.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Events/30/Royal_London_Womens_One-Day_Cup_2018/Warwickshire_Women_Batting.html|title=Batting and Fielding for Warwickshire Women/Royal London Women's One-Day Cup 2018|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=29 March 2021}}</ref> In 2019, she helped her side to the title in the Twenty20 Cup, scoring 157 runs at an average of 31.40.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Events/32/Vitality_Womens_Twenty20_Cup_2019/Warwickshire_Women_Batting.html|title=Batting and Fielding for Warwickshire Women/Vitality Women's Twenty20 Cup 2019|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=29 March 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://edgbaston.com/team/thea-brookes/|title=Thea Brookes|publisher=Edgbaston.com|access-date=29 March 2021}}</ref> She was the side's second-highest run-scorer in the 2022 Women's Twenty20 Cup, with 147 runs including one half-century, as well as taking four wickets.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Events/35/Vitality_Womens_County_T20_2022/Warwickshire_Women_Batting.html|title=Batting and Fielding for Warwickshire Women/Vitality Women's County T20 2022|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=30 September 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Events/35/Vitality_Womens_County_T20_2022/Warwickshire_Women_Bowling.html|title=Bowling for Warwickshire Women/Vitality Women's County T20 2022|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=30 September 2022}}</ref> She joined Surrey for the 2023 Women's Twenty20 Cup, taking three wickets in the competition.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ecbwcountychampionship.play-cricket.com/website/results/5545355 |title=Oxfordshire Women v Surrey Women, 1 May 2023 @ 11:00 |publisher=Play-Cricket |access-date=1 May 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Events/37/Vitality_Womens_County_T20_2023/Surrey_Women_Bowling.html |title=Bowling for Surrey Women/Vitality Women's County T20 2023|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=23 October 2023}}</ref>

Brookes also played in the Women's Cricket Super League in all four seasons. In 2016, she played for Loughborough Lightning, helping them reach the semi-final and scoring 43 runs.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Events/28/Kia_Super_League_2016/Loughborough_Lightning_Batting.html|title=Batting and Fielding for Loughborough Lightning/Kia Super League 2016|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=29 March 2021}}</ref> She continued playing for the side in 2017, and hit 48 runs in 5 innings that season.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Events/29/Kia_Super_League_2017/Loughborough_Lightning_Batting.html|title=Batting and Fielding for Loughborough Lightning/Kia Super League 2017|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=29 March 2021}}</ref> In 2018, she moved to Yorkshire Diamonds, hitting her WCSL high score of 45* against Southern Vipers and taking 3 wickets.<ref name="CAprof"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/1049/1049181.html|title=Southern Vipers v Yorkshire Diamonds, 8 August 2018|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=29 March 2021}}</ref> Brookes joined Southern Vipers for the 2019 season, playing 7 matches and scoring 43 runs.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Events/32/Kia_Super_League_2019/Southern_Vipers_Batting.html|title=Batting and Fielding for Southern Vipers/Kia Super League 2019|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=29 March 2021}}</ref>

In 2020, Brookes played for Central Sparks in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy. She appeared in three matches, scoring 10 runs and taking 2 wickets at an average of 21.50.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Events/34/Rachael_Heyhoe-Flint_Trophy_2020/Central_Sparks_Batting.html|title=Batting and Fielding for Central Sparks/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2020|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=29 March 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Events/34/Rachael_Heyhoe-Flint_Trophy_2020/Central_Sparks_Bowling.html|title=Bowling for Central Sparks/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2020|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=29 March 2021}}</ref> In 2021, Brookes played ten matches for the side across the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and the Charlotte Edwards Cup, with a top score of 33 in her side's Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy victory over South East Stars.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/averages/batting_bowling_by_team.html?id=13889;team=6768;type=tournament |title=Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2021 - Central Sparks/Batting and Bowling Averages |publisher=ESPNCricinfo |access-date=26 September 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/averages/batting_bowling_by_team.html?id=13890;team=6768;type=tournament |title=Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2021 - Central Sparks/Batting and Bowling Averages |publisher=ESPNCricinfo |access-date=26 September 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/rachael-heyhoe-flint-trophy-2021-1252263/central-sparks-vs-south-east-stars-1252285/full-scorecard |title=Worcester, 12 Sep 2021, Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy: Central Sparks v South East Stars |publisher=ESPNCricinfo |access-date=26 September 2021}}</ref> She was also in the Birmingham Phoenix squad for The Hundred, but did not play a match and was not retained for the 2022 season.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thecricketer.com/Topics/thehundred/the_hundred_squads_2021_full_mens_womens_player_lists.html|title=The Hundred squads 2021: Full men's and women's player lists|publisher=The Cricketer|accessdate=29 March 2021}}</ref> She played five matches for Central Sparks in 2022, across the Charlotte Edwards Cup and the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/averages/batting_bowling_by_team.html?id=14446;team=6768;type=tournament |title=Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2022 - Central Sparks/Batting and Bowling Averages |publisher=ESPNCricinfo |access-date=30 September 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/averages/batting_bowling_by_team.html?id=14448;team=6768;type=tournament |title=Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2022 - Central Sparks/Batting and Bowling Averages |publisher=ESPNCricinfo |access-date=30 September 2022}}</ref> Ahead of the 2023 season, it was confirmed that Brookes had left Central Sparks.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.centralsparks.com/post/central-sparks-2023-squad-announcement | title=Central Sparks 2023 Squad Announcement |website=Central Sparks |date=18 April 2023 |access-date=18 April 2023}}</ref>

Brookes also appeared in the Super Fours in 2011 and 2012, for Diamonds.<ref name="ListA">{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/228/228230/Womens_List_A_Matches.html|title=Women's List A Matches played by Thea Brookes|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=29 March 2021}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *{{cricinfo|id=515870}} *{{cricketarchive|id=228230}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brookes, Thea}} Category:1993 births Category:Living people Category:Sportspeople from Wordsley Category:Worcestershire women cricketers Category:Warwickshire women cricketers Category:Surrey women cricketers Category:Loughborough Lightning cricketers Category:Yorkshire Diamonds cricketers Category:Southern Vipers cricketers Category:Central Sparks cricketers Category:Cricketers from the West Midlands (county)