Johan de Silva, of Snape, excited by challenge of new role as Suffolk Cricket Women’s head coach

The opportunity to make a difference to women’s cricket in Suffolk is what attracted the county’s new Women’s head coach to his new role.

Johan de Silva, who is an ECB Advanced Coach, has just started work for Suffolk Cricket after being appointed to oversee the Women’s and Under-18s teams and the Centre of Excellence players.

The 29-year-old, who was born in London to Sri Lankan parents, moved to Snape in Suffolk with wife Laura in March 2023.

Johan, who was educated at City of London School and University College London, was recreational board director of Middlesex Cricket between March 2022 and December 2023.

He works for Middlesex in the Community, the charitable arm of Middlesex CCC, alongside the former England bowler Angus Fraser, who is the managing director.

Johan has extensive coaching experience at both club level and across a number of London Boroughs, coaching within both the Suffolk and Middlesex Performance Pathway programmes.

His wife Laura is lead coach of Middlesex Under-13 Girls and in charge of girls’ coaching across all age groups at Highgate CC in London, where Johan, who is a wicket-keeper and batter, is still director of cricket.

He said: “The opportunity to make a difference to women’s cricket in Suffolk was what attracted me to the role and I think it is something I can do well.

“I was already committed to coaching on the Suffolk Young Cricketers coaching programme and then this job came up.

“It felt a natural step for me and something that was really exciting to be involved in women’s cricket in the county when there is a lot of change moving forward.

“It will be exciting to work with adult female players again, which is something I have done before. I want to establish a positive team culture and have a happy team that then performs really well on the pitch.

“Looking at the broad range of the pathway I feel I can make a difference at all levels and influence how best we can work together.”

The ECB announced a new structure for women’s cricket earlier this year with the creation of a three-tiered domestic competition.

Suffolk, who have been placed in Tier 3 under the new set up, will be playing in Division Two South alongside Cornwall, Dorset, Hunts & Bedfordshire and Oxfordshire.

They will face all four counties in both T20 and 50-over fixtures in the forthcoming 2025 season.

Johan, who replaces long-serving Suffolk Women’s Coach Rob Southall, said: “Looking at the fixtures I hope we will be fairly competitive across both formats.”