New Zealander Georgia Atkinson will link up with Cheltenham Cricket Club this season in a ground-breaking move.

The 23-year-old all-rounder will become Cheltenham’s first women’s overseas professional in their long and proud history, something that club chairman David Partridge describes as “very exciting”.

“We haven’t had a women’s overseas professional before and, to our knowledge, nor have too many other clubs,” he said.

“We need to support the ladies and the girls, they are a major part of the club and it is something we want to do properly.”

Atkinson is expected at Cheltenham in mid-April and she certainly has an impressive cricketing CV.

The hard-hitting batter and leg-spin bowler plays T20 and List A cricket for Central Districts Women back in New Zealand and also had a spell playing in Ireland last summer.

Cheltenham will play in the Women’s Premier Division of the West of England Premier League for the first time in 2024 – they’ll be up against the likes of Bath and Dumbleton – and Partridge continued:  “We know how important ladies’ cricket is becoming and we’re very proud that we’ve signed a women’s overseas professional.”

Partridge said the club will run two adult hardball women’s teams this season alongside two softball teams.

The club are also running four or five girls’ age group teams so Atkinson will certainly be kept busy, especially as Partridge hopes she will also play for the men’s 3rds and 4ths on a Saturday.

This is the first season that the club will have run a 4ths. They will compete in Division 2 East of the Cheltenham/Gloucester/Forest of Dean League and they'll play their home games at Burrow’s in Leckhampton.

Meanwhile, Partridge has confirmed that South African all-rounder Josh Breed will again be the men’s overseas professional.

He will be joined by new signings Dexter Purser and George Pritchard as Cheltenham look to improve on last season’s fourth-placed finish in the WEPL’s Premier 2 Glos/Wilts.

Both are batsmen and Partridge said: “Purser is joining us from Stratford and has played in the Premier Division of the Birmingham League.

“Pritchard, who is left-handed, was a junior at Cheltenham. He has been at Swansea University for the past three years and was playing his club cricket in Swansea but he wants to play for Cheltenham.”

Liam Walker will again captain the men’s flagship team.