Chris Read, the former Nottinghamshire and England wicketkeeper, has been appointed as the new head coach of Thunder, taking over from Paul Shaw who stepped down at the end of the 2023 campaign after four seasons in charge. Read, who played 15 Tests and represented England in all three formats, has served as assistant coach with Trent Rockets in the women’s Hundred and Hobart Hurricanes in the WBBL, as well as wicketkeeping consultancy work with the ECB and England men’s Under-19s squad. He will join the Thunder set-up on a two-year contract in January, inheriting a squad that reached Finals Day in the 2023 Charlotte Edwards Cup. “I am extremely proud to have taken up this position and I am looking forward to getting to work with such an ambitious club and a talented squad of players,” Read said. “I believe that my experiences as both a player and coach will help Thunder push on and achieve our ambitions in the coming seasons.” David Thorley, regional director of women’s cricket, added: “Chris excelled against the candidate brief of what we were looking for in a head coach and I am looking forward to the future of Thunder under his leadership.”
