Alex Hartley who lifted the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in 2017 is set to retire from professional cricket. The 29-year-old spinner featured 32 times for England across the two white-ball formats after making her debut in 2016. Hartley claimed 2-58 in the final victory over India to claim the 2017 global tournament at Lord’s, dismissing skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and Sushma Verma in England’s successful defence of 228. The experienced spinner was England’s second-best wicket-taker in the campaign, taking 10 scalps in eight appearances. Hartley made her announcement in her own podcast, No Balls, co-hosted by England international Kate Cross. “I’m hanging my boots up – I am officially retiring from cricket. I’m going to really miss it.
I’m going to be really sad – but its right, isn’t it? I’ve been thinking about it for ages. I’ve loved it, I’ve hated it but I am really proud of what I’ve achieved. It’s everything that I’ve ever wanted to do,” Hartley said. In her short-spanned career, Hartley claimed two four-wicket hauls in the ODI format (both against the West Indies in 2016), and four three-wicket hauls. Her most notable spell of 3/45 came in a victory over Australia in 2017. The spinner’s last action on the field will be in the hundred competition where Hartley currently features for the Welsh Fire.