You have taken significant ownership over your sporting development. When did that begin?

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My third year at university was a really significant year for me. I got dropped from the MCCU programme and I was heartbroken about it. I lost all the support that comes with being in that sort of set up and realised if I wanted to be the best cricket player I could be, I was going to have find my own way, trying to pick up everything I had already learned. Later in that year, I won my place back on the MCCU programme and ended up captaining the tour to Dubai in 2015. That was a ‘pinch me’ moment. I realised the potential I had and realised if need be, I can develop myself and don’t have to rely on the support systems that have already been in place. Whilst it would be preferable, I didn’t need to be in a programme to better myself at cricket. When I finished university, my boyfriend said ‘if you don’t try now, how are you going to ever know whether you could reach your potential or not?’ So I decided to invest in myself and travelled to Australia and through a link with the Middlesex Women captain at the time, got to link up with Melbourne Cricket Club where I dedicated almost seven months of my life to 100% cricket. 

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Why was it necessary for you to go to Australia at that time?

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They were a little bit more ahead at the time. Their state programme was semi-professional. At club level, the competition was higher than I was playing in England, so it was a good challenge for me to get better. One of the main goals was to improve my batting as at the time I was a bowler. Over there I probably batted five times a week. It was hard though. My parents supported me on that first trip by paying for my flights and said ‘thereafter, it’s up to you, you need to figure it out.’ I worked the summer before I went and saved up three months’ salary to pay my way. I got a working visa, so I was able to do some coaching and that helped fund my trip. Finances were a constant battle. In the first week I rang my parents to say I might want to come home. I didn’t know where anything was, I didn’t have any internet at the time. That felt like a big deal because I couldn’t find out where I was going. I had to be street smart and figure things out.