After a professional career totalling 11 years, Susie Rowe has made the decision to retire from cricket.

Originally having played for Kent from 2004 – 2012, Rowe re-joined Kent Women ahead of the 2020 season, and has made 79 appearances in total for the Horses.

The 34-year-old was a part of five Women’s County Championship title-winning sides (2006, ’07, ’09, ’11, ’12) and two Kent teams that won the National Women’s T20 competition in 2011 & ’12.

Upon her return to the county, the right-hand batter also contributed towards tournament wins the Vitality Women’s County T20 South East Group and the Women’s London Championship in 2021.

Rowe scored 1,414 runs at an average of 33 across both formats for the Kent Women in her career. Her Kent high-score of 67 runs from 59 balls came in a T20 match against Yorkshire in August 2012.

In 2021, she received her county cap (number 36) from Kent in recognition of her achievements for the Horses.

Lewisham-born Rowe also made 23 appearances for England Women between 2011 & 2013 in limited overs cricket, as well as featuring for the South East Stars in women’s regional cricket and London Spirit in the first edition of The Hundred.

After originally stepping away from cricket in 2015 after two seasons playing for Surrey, Rowe featured in the England Hockey National League Premier Division for Canterbury Hockey Club, after playing International hockey for England at Under-21 level, and still plays in the National League for Sevenoaks Hockey Club.

She will now focus on her role as Director of Cricket at Radnor House School in Sevenoaks as well as being Head Coach of Women’s and Girls’ Cricket at Sevenoaks Vine Cricket Club.

On retiring from cricket, Rowe said: “”I feel very fortunate to have had a returning spell of cricket which allowed me a taste of the new professional era of women’s domestic cricket.

“It’s a drastic change to when I initially left the game in 2015 at a time when there was very little T20 women’s domestic cricket around which was by far my favoured format.

“My return in 2020 was very different to what I had imagined given the Pandemic, but the ability to have access to a professional set up with the South East Stars as well as the opportunity to play in The Hundred has been absolutely incredible and I will certainly hold fondly in my cricketing memories.

“I’d like to thank Kent Cricket and the South East Stars as well as St Lawrence and Highland Court CC who all helped me get back into the game and be able to train and play as a professional cricketer.

“It’s a new era of professional women’s cricket and although I’ve loved being part of it all, it’s unfortunately not something I can sustain alongside my full time PE teaching and Director of Cricket job at Radnor House Sevenoaks.

“It’s very exciting to see the direction that women’s cricket is taking in this country and I’ll always be involved in the game through both my school teaching and club coaching roles and will always take great pride and reward in helping to inspire boys and girls to want to play the game.”

Kent Women Head Coach, Dave Hathrill, said: “Susie is a senior voice in a Kent Women dressing room that won all competitions we were a part in and she has provided invaluable experience for our young squad to learn from this year.

“On behalf of everyone at Kent Cricket I’d like to thank Susie for her many years of service to the Club, being a part of so many trophy-winning sides, and we all wish her the very best for the future.”

Director of Regional Women’s Cricket at South East Stars, Richard Bedbrook, said: “On behalf of the South East Stars, we thank Susie for her involvement as a player in the first two seasons of the new regional team and competitions.

“A fitting region for Susie being that she represented both Kent and Surrey as a player in County cricket and a fitting bookend to her career as she was able to be a part of another historic step forwards in the women’s game.”

Picture supplied by Oyster Bay Photography.