Surrey and South East Stars batter Kirstie White has decided to retire from the game.
Kirstie has amassed over 100 appearances for the Three Feathers, scoring over 2,400 runs across List A and T20 cricket, as well as claiming 65 dismissals with the gloves.
In 2022, Kirstie was awarded the Surrey Gold Cap for making over 100 appearances for the club.
White also appeared 20 times for the South East Stars whilst playing for the Surrey County team. In 2021, White was at the non-striker’s end as Alice Capsey scored the winning runs to secure the Charlotte Edwards Cup.
Kirstie first appeared for Surrey in 2012 after starting her cricketing journey at Hampshire. 2014 saw White make her stamp with the bat, scoring 320 runs to finish top of the run-scoring charts – something she would do again in 2015 and 2016.
Her highest score for the club came in 2016, when she scored an unbeaten 98 in the Championship defeat at Sussex. That year, she would score 431 runs at an average of 47.89 for the Three Feathers.
On retiring, Kirstie wrote: “I can’t express the feelings that I have been through this season, knowing it would be my last with a determination to enjoy every minute that I have spent on the field, in the dressing room and with the teams I have played in.
“I would like to thank every single person that I have had the privilege of playing alongside and against during my career. From the senior players that backed me when I was a 12-year-old making my senior county debut, to the young players who have leant on me for support and guidance. And finally, to my best friend who made me fall back in love with the game after taking a break.
“Moreover, I’d like to thank every single coach, physio, doctor, S&C, psychologist and member of support staff who have invested their time in me.
“The game and the friends made along the way has truly made me who I am today. Through the dark and brutal times of injury and missing out on selection. To the highs of winning trophies and celebrating with the people you work hard with day in and out to make it happen.”
Katherine Robson, Head of Surrey’s Women’s and Girls Pathways system, said: “As a young player at Hampshire, Kirstie was a renowned run scorer in the county scene, and when she joined Surrey after taking a few years break from cricket she looked like she had never left!
“It was great to have Kirstie become part of the team as she added experience – even though she was still in her early 20’s when she joined!
“Her dedication to Surrey has not gone unnoticed. She had an unknowing positive impact on the young players coming through the county system and I want to say a huge ‘Thank You’ for her commitment to club.”
Emma Calvert, Surrey’s Director of Women’s Cricket, added: “Kirstie has had an amazing career, and it is a huge loss to the game to see her hanging up her spikes. She has been an important part of our South East Stars team and made incredible contributions both on and off the field.
“What Kirstie has done for the women’s game goes far beyond her time at the stars and I have no doubt there are many players out there today playing this game because they were inspired by her. We wish her all the best in the next chapter of her journey and know she will be our number one supporter from now on.”
Everybody at Surrey County Cricket Club and the South East Stars wish Kirstie the best for the future.
