Tara Norris

Tara Gabriella Norris (born 4 June 1998) is an American cricketer who currently plays for Sussex and London Spirit. She plays as a left-arm medium bowler. She has previously played for Loughborough Lightning, Southern Vipers, North West Thunder and Southern Brave.^[1][2]

Tara Norris

Norris at Wankhede Stadium in 2023
Personal information
Full name	Tara Gabriella Norris
Born	(1998-06-04) 4 June 1998 (age 26) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Batting	Left-handed
Bowling	Left-arm medium
Role	Bowler
International information
National side	United States
ODI debut (cap 15)	17 October 2024 v Zimbabwe
Last ODI	28 October 2024 v Zimbabwe
T20I debut (cap 19)	18 October 2021 v Brazil
Last T20I	25 October 2021 v Argentina
Domestic team information
Years	Team
2014–present	Sussex
2017	Southern Vipers
2018–2019	Loughborough Lightning
2020–2022	Southern Vipers
2021–2022	Southern Brave
2023	Delhi Capitals
2023–2024	North West Thunder
2023–present	London Spirit
Career statistics
Competition WT20I WLA WT20 Matches 5 81 103 Runs scored 15 559 366 Batting average 7.50 15.52 11.80 100s/50s 0/0 0/2 0/1 Top score 13 53* 59* Balls bowled 108 3,318 1,515 Wickets 4 89 80 Bowling average 7.75 26.40 19.55 5 wickets in innings 0 0 1 10 wickets in match 0 0 0 Best bowling 2/4 4/14 5/29 Catches/stumpings 0/– 29/– 28/–
Source: CricketArchive, 17 October 2024

Norris was born in the United States and played for the United States women's national cricket team at the 2021 ICC Women's T20 World Cup Americas Qualifier.^[3]

Early life

Norris was born on 4 June 1998 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, and is half-Italian.^[4] She spent her early years in Spain, before moving to England at the age of eight. She attended Portslade Aldridge Community Academy and began playing for Horsham Cricket Club at a young age.^[5]

Domestic career

Norris made her county debut in 2014, for Sussex against Warwickshire. She did not bat or bowl.^[6] A year later, she was part of the Sussex squad that won the 2015 Women's Twenty20 Cup.^[7] In the 2018 Women's County Championship, Norris had a strong season, taking 10 wickets at an average of 10.30 as her side was promoted from Division 2.^[8] In 2019, Norris again had a successful county season, being Sussex's second-leading wicket-taker in both competitions, and hitting her maiden county half-century, scoring 59* opening the batting in a T20 victory over Warwickshire.^[9][10][11] She was Sussex's joint-leading wicket-taker in the 2021 Women's Twenty20 Cup, with 7 wickets at an average of 11.71.^[12] In the 2022 Women's Twenty20 Cup, Norris took eight wickets at an average of 7.87, including Twenty20 best bowling figures of 4/11, taken against Surrey.^[13][14]

In 2017, Norris also played for Southern Vipers in the Women's Cricket Super League. She played one match, bowling three overs and dismissing Jenny Gunn for her maiden KSL wicket.^[15] Ahead of the 2018 season, she moved to Loughborough Lightning, but did not play for them until 2019. Across her three appearances, she bowled three overs for no wicket.^[16]

In 2020, Norris returned to Southern Vipers for the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy. She appeared in all 7 matches, including her side's 38-run victory in the Final over Northern Diamonds. She took 12 wickets at an average of 17.91, including taking 4/45 in a match against Western Storm.^[17][18] She was the joint-third leading wicket-taker across the whole tournament.^[19] In 2021, she was the joint-second leading wicket-taker in the Charlotte Edwards Cup, with 13 wickets at an average of 13.30.^[20] She achieved her Twenty20 best bowling in the tournament against Lightning, taking 4/14 from her 3.5 overs.^[21] In the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, Norris took 11 wickets at an average of 30.09, including taking her List A best bowling figures, again 4/14, against North West Thunder.^[22] In the final of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, Norris hit her List A best of 40* as part of an unbroken stand of 78 for the eighth wicket with Emily Windsor to help her side recover from 109/7 to win the match, and the tournament, by 3 wickets with two balls to spare.^[23] She also played six matches for Southern Brave in The Hundred, taking 3 wickets at an average of 22.66.^[24] In 2022, Norris took two wickets in four appearances in the Charlotte Edwards Cup, and was Southern Vipers' leading wicket-taker in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, with 12 wickets at an average of 19.75.^[25][26] She was again in the Southern Brave squad in The Hundred, but did not play a match.^[27] At the end of the 2022 season, it was announced that Norris had joined North West Thunder.^[28] In 2023, she was Thunder's second-leading wicket-taker in both the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and the Charlotte Edwards Cup, with 10 and 9 wickets respectively.^[29][30] She also scored her maiden List A half-century, with 51* against Southern Vipers.^[31] She also played for London Spirit in The Hundred, taking two wickets in her six matches.^[32] In 2024, she played 19 matches for North West Thunder, across the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and the Charlotte Edwards Cup, taking 13 wickets.^[33][34]

In February 2023, she was signed by Delhi Capitals ahead of the inaugural season of the Women's Premier League.^[35] She played five matches for the side as they reached the final of the tournament, taking 7 wickets at an average of 12.71.^[36] In her first match of the tournament, she took a five-wicket haul, with 5/29 against Royal Challengers Bangalore.^[37]

International career

In September 2021, Norris was named in the United States squad for the 2021 ICC Women's T20 World Cup Americas Qualifier.^[38] She made her Twenty20 International debut in the first match of the tournament, against Brazil on 18 October 2021.^[3] She went on to play five of USA's six matches in the tournament as they qualified for the 2022 ICC Women's World Twenty20 Qualifier, taking 4 wickets at an average of 7.75.^[39] In October 2021, she was named in the American team for the 2021 Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier tournament in Zimbabwe.^[40]

Norris has also appeared for various England Development and Academy teams, including touring South Africa in 2018.^[41]

References

1. "Player Profile: Tara Norris". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
2. "Player Profile: Tara Norris". CricketArchive. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
3. "1st Match, Naucalpan, Oct 18 2021, ICC Women's T20 World Cup Americas Region Qualifier: Brazil Women v USA Women". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
4. "Player Profile: Tara Norris". the Cricketer. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
5. "Young star Norris thanks Horsham Cricket Club for helping her rise into Sussex ranks". Sussex Express. 5 March 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
6. "Sussex Women v Warwickshire Women, 5 May 2014". CricketArchive. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
7. "T20 Matches Played by Tara Norris". CricketArchive. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
8. "Bowling for Sussex Women/Royal London Women's One-Day Cup 2018". CricketArchive. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
9. "Bowling for Sussex Women/Royal London Women's One-Day Cup 2019". CricketArchive. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
10. "Bowling for Sussex Women/Vitality Women's Twenty20 Cup 2019". CricketArchive. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
11. "Warwickshire Women v Sussex Women, 30 June 2019". CricketArchive. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
12. "Bowling for Sussex Women/Vitality Women's County T20 2021". CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
13. "Bowling for Sussex Women/Vitality Women's County T20 2022". CricketArchive. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
14. "Surrey Women v Sussex Women, 18 April 2022". CricketArchive. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
15. "Southern Vipers v Yorkshire Diamonds, 26 August 2017". CricketArchive. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
16. "Bowling for Loughborough Lightning/Kia Super League 2019". CricketArchive. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
17. "Bowling for Southern Vipers/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2020". CricketArchive. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
18. "Western Storm v Southern Vipers". CricketArchive. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
19. "Bowling in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2020 (Ordered by Wickets)". CricketArchive. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
20. "Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2021/Most Wickets". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
21. "Tara Norris four-for makes light work of Lightning as Vipers show their bite". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
22. "Southern Vipers maintain top spot after Tara Norris, Paige Scholfield rip through Thunder". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
23. "Emily Windsor, Tara Norris rally Vipers to title defence". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
24. "Records/The Hundred Women's Competition, 2021 - Southern Brave (Women)/Batting and Bowling Averages". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
25. "Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2022 - Southern Vipers/Batting and Bowling Averages". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
26. "Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2022 - Southern Vipers/Batting and Bowling Averages". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
27. "The Hundred 2022: latest squads as Draft picks revealed". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
28. "Thunder sign Naomi Dattani, Fi Morris and Tara Norris to strengthen squad". Lancashire Cricket. 4 November 2022. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
29. "Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2023 - Thunder/Batting and Bowling Averages". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
30. "Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2023 - Thunder/Batting and Bowling Averages". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
31. "Ellie Threlkeld and Tara Norris rescue tie for Thunder against Southern Vipers". the Cricketer. 7 July 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
32. "Records/The Hundred Women's Competition, 2023 - London Spirit (Women)/Batting and Bowling Averages". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
33. "Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2024 - Thunder/Batting and Bowling Averages". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
34. "Records/Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2024 - Thunder/Batting and Bowling Averages". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
35. "Bid-by-bid updates - 2023 WPL auction". ESPNcricinfo. 13 February 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
36. "Records/Women's Premier League, 2022/23 - Delhi Capitals Women/Batting and Bowling Averages". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
37. "The Shafali-Lanning show flattens RCB before Tara Norris' five-for". ESPNcricinfo. 5 March 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
38. "Team USA Women's Squad Named for ICC Americas T20 World Cup Qualifier in Mexico". USA Cricket. 16 September 2021. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
39. "Bowling for United States of America Women/ICC Women's T20 World Cup Americas Region Qualifier 2021/22". CricketArchive. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
40. "Team USA Women's Squad named for ICC Women's World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe". USA Cricket. 28 October 2021. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
41. "Women's Miscellaneous Matches Played by Tara Norris". CricketArchive. Retrieved 17 March 2021.

Further reading

• Della Penna, Peter (5 March 2023). "How USA's Tara Norris came to make history in the WPL". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
• Raina, Niharika (22 May 2023). "USA bowler Tara Norris was little-known until the WPL. Now an international success, she wants to see cricket in America grow". ABC News (Australia). Retrieved 22 May 2023.

External links

Media related to Tara Norris at Wikimedia Commons

• Tara Norris at ESPNcricinfo
• Tara Norris at CricketArchive (subscription required)