Bell, the 21-year-old right-arm swing bowler, will mark six months since her worldwide debut simply after Christmas as a part of a bunch of children awarded a possibility over the English summer time by former head coach Lisa Keightley.
“It’s been great to have new coaches in around the squad and John has come in and really drove us to be inspiring and entertaining for anyone who’s watching women’s cricket,” she mentioned from Barbados on Tuesday, a day after arriving from Antigua for the remaining 4 fixtures in a five-match T20I collection with West Indies. “It’s a really good way to view the game and it’s moving in the right direction.
“The West Indies has been a very good tour thus far. The confidence I’ve from the coaches, the backing of the coaches, and the backing of Heather [Knight], the captain, it is simply put me in a very good place. I really feel like I do know my position in this crew and I do know the place I the place I stand. Being actually valued and a part of the crew has performed a giant position in that.”
Bell made her debut in the drawn Test against South Africa in Taunton, where she took two first-innings wickets and bowled an economical if wicketless 14 overs in the visitors’ second innings.
Going into last Tuesday’s second ODI against West Indies, she had three wickets from four matches in the format before claiming a devastating 4 for 33 as England crushed the hosts by 142 runs. Then, on Sunday, in just her third T20I, she claimed 3 for 26 to set up an eight-wicket victory which leaves the home side staring down the prospect of another England clean sweep after the ODIs finished 3-0.
West Indies’ batting has been poor, while Bell has revelled in the conditions producing some wonderful swinging deliveries that have left them flummoxed. And while she will come up against tougher opposition, Bell has her sights set on earning place in the squad for February’s T20 World Cup in South Africa.
“That’s a giant focus for us,” Bell said. “I feel the subsequent 4 T20s are a very good likelihood to actually put a stamp to the remainder of the world about the place we’re with our cricket and the way good a T20 squad we may be.
“It will also be a good chance to play some the girls who have maybe not played so much T20 cricket and see what our different options are against different players.”
“That’s actually the first time I’ve played with Katherine in my career so that was pretty special,” Bell mentioned. “Not many people can say they’ve done that so that was really good.
“Having her round, having Crossy round in the ODIs, I feel I can simply be taught a lot. They’re actually open simply serving to me with something. It was a very good expertise.”
Being on the big stage is not alien to Bell, which is another notable thing in favour of England’s youngsters. She was the second-highest wicket-taker in this year’s Women’s Hundred behind Southern Brave team-mate and Australia legspinner Amanda-Jade Wellington and sixth on the list in 2021, the inaugural season of the competition, which has been credited with giving young players valuable experience against top-level opponents in front of big crowds.
With Kemp and Capsey returning residence from the Caribbean early as a result of again and collarbone accidents respectively, it’s right down to Bell and Wong – who was not a part of the ODI squad and is but to characteristic in the T20I collection – to fly the flag for England’s latest crop. If they will play with what’s changing into a collective trademark of freedom, it needs to be a breeze.
Valkerie Baynes is a basic editor at ESPNcricinfo