The England Women’s cricket team are going from strength to strength and don’t show any signs of slowing down. Charlotte Edwards has been at the helm for five years and is as passionate as ever about leading her team to victory. Ahead of their two week tour to Sri Lanka, Sportsister caught up with the captain en route to Heathrow.
It seems the team couldn’t be more prepared for what lies ahead and are relishing the chance to get back out onto the pitch. “The preparations have been fantastic; we had some time off at the end of the season but have been training for the last month and have spent the last four days up at Loughborough,” Edwards told Sportsister.
“It couldn’t have gone any better, we’re all really looking forward to getting out there and playing some competitive cricket.”
The team have every reason to be feeling confident; the last time England met Sri Lanka at the World Twenty20, England won by 63 runs, but that was 17 months ago and Edwards is not going to let her or her team get complacent.
“We don’t know a huge amount about the Sri Lankan team, we haven’t played that much cricket against them so it is a case of stepping into the unknown a little bit. We want to go out and win five games and we won’t be underestimating the Sri Lankans. They’re playing at home, we’re coming off the back of the off season so we really have to hit the ground running.”
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Sri Lanka was the setting for Edward’s first tour as captain back in 2005 and a lot has happened in the intervening years. England has won the Ashes, the World Cup and World Twenty20 so it’s a very different feeling heading to Colombo this time around.
“The first time I was very nervous, it was my first time as captain and I didn’t really know how people were going to react to me. Five years on I’m taking out a very successful team and the players know me which makes it a lot easier but at the same time there’s a lot more expectation both on me and the team. It’s two different feelings but I’d rather be where I am now with the success and experience behind us. It’s nice to be able to help the younger players along the way, it’s a good position to be in.”
And speaking of younger players, there are some fresh faces in the squad as Sarah Taylor, Katherine Brunt and Holly Colvin remain in the UK and a few select Academy players step up. Lauren Griffiths (Cheshire), Susie Rowe (Kent), Fran Wilson (Somerset) and Beth MacGregor (Essex) will all be heading to Sri Lanka, a prospect that Edwards is delighted with.
“All the new players are young and enthusiastic, they’re bringing lots of energy into the group which is great. It’s really refreshing for us, as senior players, to have the younger girls come in and to bring that enthusiasm and fun and they’ve fitted in really well. They’re going to be a bit naïve and with that comes a sense of phobia and fear but hopefully they’re going to go out there and just play how they play for their counties.”
“It’s a great time to integrate these new players and to give them some experience of playing international cricket in the subcontinent. This short tour is the perfect opportunity to prepare them for the tour in January.”
above: Sarah Taylor (left) Charlotte Edwards (centre) Laura Marsh (right)
Which brings us onto the biggie – Australia. It’s not just the younger players that will benefit from the Sri Lankan tour, the whole team is using this as a dress rehearsal for the all-important clash with their antipodean rivals.
“We’d all be lying if we said that Australia wasn’t on our minds at the moment as ultimately, it is the biggest test in cricket. We’re looking to use this tour to build up the momentum to then carry over into January.” The team will travel south in the new year to play three One Day Internationals and five Twenty20 matches before a solitary Test that will decide the destination of the Ashes.
So as the squad get in some preparation for the biggest showdown in the cricketing calendar, what exactly is it like to be on tour with the England girls? Edwards gives us a glimpse of life abroad and it seems the tropical beaches and tea plantations will be given a miss as the women concentrate solely on the games.
“It’s a tough tour, it’s five games in eight days and we want to play as much cricket as possible when we’re out there, really use the time wisely. Not much will be happening outside the hotel, a lot of rest and recovery in between sessions – we’ll be working the girls pretty hard!”
Aside from rigorous training regimes and matches, Edwards outlines a few more challenges they face while on tour: “The heat is a massive factor and you have to try and adapt as soon as possible. The jetlag plays a part as well, you have to sort your sleeping patterns out pretty quickly. The food as well, you might not necessarily eat what you would eat back in England so you have to be careful, but I am confident we are fully prepared for this tour.”
“As well as being great preparation for the Australian tour, it’s also fantastic experience for the 2012 Twenty20 World Cup (which is to be held in Sri Lanka) and the 2013 World Cup (to be held in India).”
As the team edged ever closer to Terminal five, I wanted to know the best thing about being on tour with the England girls. “I love putting on my England jacket, arriving at the airport knowing you are representing your country. It’s really special when you go abroad, there’s a sense of camaraderie between the players that you can’t re-enact anywhere else. It’s very special when you are successful away from home and creates some of the best memories when you look back over your cricketing career.”
It certainly seems like the England girls have the best person fronting their campaign and the injection of fresh talent into the squad looks set to make an incredibly successful team, even better.
Kirsty Page, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine
