Date of birth: 3rd April 2002 (Birmingham, West Midlands)
The Blaze List A debut: 22nd April 2023 (Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Trophy v Central Sparks | Trent Bridge, Nottingham)
The Blaze T20 debut: 20th May 2023 (Charlotte Edwards Cup v South East Stars | County Ground, Beckenham)
Batting: Left-handed
Bowling: Left-arm medium-fast
Providing a key point of difference as a left-armer, seamer Grace Ballinger became a champion of The Hundred in 2025 but can still most often be found taking the new ball for The Blaze across formats.
She began her career with her home county of Warwickshire, before moving from West to East Midlands to join Lightning in 2020, in line with starting a degree at Loughborough University.
During her time with Lightning, Ballinger also spent two years with Leicestershire, for whom she was both the leading wicket-taker and run-scorer in the 2022 Women’s T20 Cup.
Her rapid ascent that year continued when she took her maiden List A five-wicket haul for Lightning, and just six weeks later, she made her Hundred debut for London Spirit.
Ballinger remained with Lightning through the transition to being known as The Blaze, and has continued to go from strength to strength ever since, having won four trophies.
Those are in addition to being crowned a Hundred winner with Northern Superchargers (now SunRisers Leeds) in 2025, which she achieved alongside Lucy Higham and good friend Ella Claridge.
Having also lifted the Charlotte Edwards Cup in 2024, Ballinger went on to claim 48 wickets at an average of just 19 across formats in 2026 as The Blaze completed a historic treble.