Isabelle Westbury
English cricketer and journalist
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Isabelle "Izzy" Westbury (born 8 March 1990) is a sports journalist, lawyer, military officer and former cricketer.[1][2][3] As a cricketer, she was a right-arm off break bowler and played for Somerset and Middlesex.[4] She captained Middlesex for two seasons, in 2015 and 2016. Westbury also appeared in one One Day International.[5][6]
Hammersmith, London, England
Westbury in 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Isabelle Mary Geraldine Westbury | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 8 March 1990 Hammersmith, London, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm off break | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Bowler | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side |
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| Only ODI (cap 67) | 19 August 2005 v Ireland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2012 | Somerset | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2017 | Middlesex | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | Western Storm | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: CricketArchive, 3 January 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
She was President of the Oxford Union in 2011–12.[7] Westbury retired from playing cricket in 2017 and went on to work as a print and broadcast journalist for The Daily Telegraph and the BBC.[8] She is a Legal Officer in the Royal Air Force.[1][3]
Early life
Born in Hammersmith, London, Westbury experienced a nomadic childhood, living in Mongolia, Malaysia, Easter Island, Syria and the Netherlands.[9] She first started playing cricket in the Netherlands, after being prevented from playing club football alongside boys beyond the age of 13, at the "very traditional club" near her house.[9]
Westbury studied for an undergraduate degree in Physiology at Hertford College, Oxford,[9][10] graduating in 2013. In addition to her cricket career, she also played hockey for Oxford, achieving her Blue by playing in the Varsity Hockey Match against Cambridge in March 2010.[11] In 2011, she was elected President of the Oxford Union, having earlier served as the society's Secretary,[12][13] and was described as "the most engaging president that the Oxford Union has had in years."[7]
Cricket career
The Netherlands
Aged 13, Westbury began to play boys cricket for The Hague Cricket Club.[10][14] In 2005, aged 15, Westbury made her debut for the Netherlands during the European Championship in Wales.[15]
England
Westbury won a sports scholarship to Millfield School in Street, Somerset in 2006.[10] She joined Somerset for the 2007 County Championship.[15] In January 2010, Westbury was named as part of the England Academy squad for the High Performance Camp in Bangalore, India.[16] Westbury joined Middlesex in 2013, and was made captain the following year.[17] In 2016, she signed for the Western Storm in the inaugural Kia Super League. Westbury retired from playing cricket the following season.
Legal career
Westbury qualified as a lawyer in 2018, and serves as a Legal Officer in the Royal Air Force.[18] She specialises in conflict and criminal law.[1]