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Linsey Smith Looks Forward To Her Return To The International Stage
Linsey Smith Looks Forward To Her Return To The International Stage
Southern Vipers spinner Linsey Smith said getting back into the England set up was a ‘big aim’ ahead of re-joining the club in 2023
Spinner Linsey Smith was out in New Zealand, playing for Otago in the Super Smash T20 competition when she woke up to a message on her phone.
It was Jon Lewis, the England Women’s head coach.
‘Give me a call’, it said.
The last time Smith was included in an England squad was in 2019, and she was named in England’s 24-strong group to return to training in 2020 after the COVID-19 pandemic.
So, it was to her surprise that Lewis picked up the phone and told her she would be part of England’s IT20 squad to face New Zealand later this month.
“I wanted to know straight away,” said Smith, “I called him instantly and he gave me the good news!”
On the day of the announcement, Lewis stated that Smith is ‘the best left-arm spinner in the country’ after Sophie Ecclestone, who will be unavailable for the first three IT20s due to her commitments with UP Warriorz in the WPL, which is led by Lewis as head coach.
It has been a four-year long journey for Smith to return to international selection.
She moved to Yorkshire Diamonds for the final year of the KIA Super League and remained a player at Northern Diamonds, winning the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy with them in 2022, before returning to the Vipers ahead of the 2023 season.
Smith said: “I think [time away from England] it’s definitely allowed me that time and space to grow.
“Being away from the team was really hard to deal with initially, and you do doubt yourself and if you’re good enough, and I definitely felt like I wasn’t bowling my best at all.”
Since her last call up for international honours, Smith has certainly been showing the coaches what they’re missing.
She has taken 48 wickets across four seasons in the RHFT, and a further 31 in the Charlotte Edwards Cup, and ended up as the Vipers’ leading wicket taker of the season in 2023.
“I’ve really enjoyed my cricket over the last few years,” Smith said, “and I feel in a much better place, so fingers crossed that can continue.
“To be back in and around the England squad is something that I spoke to Charlotte Edwards and Adam Carty about when I made the move back to the Vipers as a real big aim of mine.”
The last couple of winters, Smith has been plying her trade in Australia and New Zealand, playing for Otago Sparks in the Super Smash, and was part of Charlotte Edwards’ Sydney Sixers side in the most recent WBBL.
“I don’t think conditions in New Zealand will be too different to what I’ve been playing in recently,” said Smith.
“The fact that I’ve just played there in the Super Smash I think will benefit me in terms of players we’ll be coming up against, and some of the grounds we’ll be playing at will be familiar which is nice.”
There will also be familiarity for Linsey in the England dressing room, with fellow Vipers Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, and Charlie Dean in the IT20 squad, along with Northern Superchargers teammates Hollie Armitage and Bess Heath.
With another jam-packed domestic summer ahead, with three more Charlotte Edwards Cup matches added to the calendar, Smith will be looking to take her chance with a potential spot at the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh coming up at the end of the year.
She made her international debut against the host nation back in 2018, also in a World Cup, and how fitting it would be if she were to play them again in spinning conditions having gone away and worked so hard to get back to the top of her game.
Southern Vipers tickets are now on sale, including two double header matches at Utilita Bowl alongside Hampshire Hawks!
The regional double champions play five times at Utilita Bowl in 2024, with trips across the south to Wormsley, Newbury, Arundel, and Hove.
Southern Vipers kick off their Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and Charlotte Edwards Cup title defences on 20th April and 18th May respectively.
Utilita Bowl hosts five Vipers matches, including two double headers with Hampshire Hawks on Thursday 30 May and Friday 14 June.
The Vipers also return to three outgrounds in Wormsley, Arundel Castle, and Falkland CC, along with two trips to the 1st Central County Ground in 2024.
To the Southern Vipers' full fixture list, visit the link below.
Memberships for 2024 are on sale, from the discounted Early Bird price of £180 for a standard membership, whilst junior and young adult memberships start at only £25.
A Hampshire Cricket Membership provides the chance to be part of the Hampshire Cricket family and incorporates a whole host of exciting benefits for 2024, including free entry to all Southern Vipers matches at Utilita Bowl.
To see more about Hampshire Cricket’s membership offerings, please visit the link below.
