Middlesex spin bowler Alex Hartley believes she is ready to continue her return from the international wilderness after being selected for England Women Academy’s tour of Dubai.
The 21-year-old was part of the England set-up six years ago but has only come back into the fold in the last year.
That return saw her form part of the side that took on South Africa in the summer and she is now preparing for another outing after head coach Lisa Keightley named her as one of 14 players to take on Australia.
The teams will play four 50-over matches and two Twenty20s out in Dubai in a tour that will serve as a preamble to this summer’s Women’s Ashes series.
And 21-year-old Hartley insists she can’t wait to get back into action after a solid season at county level last year. “I was in the squad when I was 15 but got dropped and now this is my first year back involved,” the left-armer said.
“It went really quickly when I was young. I didn’t really know what was going and by the time I realised I was out of the programme. But it was a good thing I got dropped because I wasn’t ready.
“I had a pretty good county season last season but being selected on the academy was a complete shock. When I got the call I just couldn’t believe it. I feel so much stronger now, I’m looking forward to the new season and I’m ready for it now and can’t wait to get out to Dubai.”
With the Women’s Ashes on the horizon Keightley’s young side will be looking to make a statement in Dubai and Hartley admits she is out to impress.
“I’d love to get on and play,” she added. “I’d love to get a few wickets and get my name out there. “I’m still one of the new ones so it would be quite good to jump into the deep end and show that I’m good enough to play for England.
“It would be a big step to get into the Ashes squad this summer but as long as I get my name out there who knows. It’s an incredibly exciting time for women’s cricket with the Ashes being televised and I think we are really progressing.
“It’s great to be part of that, and hopefully I can impress and keep moving forward with my game.”
Follow the England Women’s Academy tour against the Australian Women’s Shooting Stars at www.ecb.co.uk England will take on Australia on home soil in the Women’s Ashes this summer – for further information and ticket details, please visit www.ecb.co.uk
