Stephen Parry Named New Essex Women’s Head Coach

Essex have appointed former England spinner Stephen Parry as the new head coach of their women’s team. The 39-year-old takes over following a challenging inaugural season in the Tier 1 women’s domestic structure, which saw previous head coach Andy Tennant leave the role after less than a year.

Parry, who retired from playing in 2020, has since built an impressive coaching résumé. He worked within the Lancashire Women setup and led Manchester Originals in the women’s Hundred during the 2023 and 2024 seasons before being succeeded by Michael Klinger. Now, he is set to bring that experience to Chelmsford in hopes of reviving Essex’s performance and long-term development pathway.

“I am really excited for this next journey of my cricket career,” Parry said. “I’ve seen the squad, and I feel like I can bring my experience here to move them forward, become more competitive and work towards winning trophies. There’s a lot of room for growth, and I want to help build something special.”

Parry enjoyed a 13-year playing career with Lancashire, where he remains the club’s leading T20 wicket-taker. He represented England in five T20 internationals—including at the 2014 World T20 in Bangladesh—and made two ODI appearances.

Essex director of cricket Chris Silverwood expressed confidence in the appointment, highlighting Parry’s ability to thrive in high-pressure environments. “Stephen brings a wealth of experience from his playing and coaching career. His recent roles have shown he can develop and nurture talent, making him the ideal person to guide our women’s squad,” Silverwood said. “We are confident he will have a major impact both on and off the field.”

Parry’s long-term aim is to strengthen all levels of Essex Women’s cricket—from the first team to the academy and pathway—in hopes of establishing sustained competitiveness across all formats.