Dani and Lauren looking to make the most of England chance

It was reported earlier this week that Dani Gibson and Lauren Filer had been called up to the England squad ahead of this Summer’s Ashes series.

We caught up with the pair this week and asked them how it felt to get the call?

Danielle Gibson:” It was really unexpected but I’m excited and happy to be around this group and to have been given this opportunity.”

Lauren Filer: “It feel quite surreal to be honest. I wasn’t expecting it, so it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster.”

How did you find out that you’d been selected?

LF: “The Head Coach, John Lewis called me, but I actually missed it. He left a voicemail which played through my car. Thankfully, he called me back quite soon after.”

DG: “I was just about to start a gym session when my phone rang. It was John Lewis and he said that I’d been picked for the squad. I was in shock and didn’t really know how to react. As soon as I got off the phone with him, I rang my parents and my brother straight away. A few tears were shed, but they were all really happy and absolutely buzzing for me. That was a good few minutes!”

LF: “I told my partner and my parents first, and there were tears from my mum. She always cries!”

How important has Western Storm been in you getting to this stage of your career?

DG: “I started playing for Western Storm in the KSL when I was 17. I’m 22 now and this call up is a real honour. I really want to make the most of this opportunity. Storm have been very supportive. They’ve been amazing from the start, and they continue to support me still. I have to thank Storm for giving me the opportunity to play in the KSL at such a young age. As soon as professional contracts came along, Lisa Pagett (Regional Director of Women’s Cricket) called me and said that they wanted to offer me my first domestic contract. They’ve been so supportive since day one and I want to thank everyone for all their work.”

LF: “With Storm we’ve all put in a lot of work as a team and individually. It’s really nice to get recognition for that. It’s an exciting time and Storm have played a massive role in me getting to this point. From a cricket perspective they are my main support, and this is my first year as a contracted player. It’s great that all the work we’ve put in over the winter has paid off. Trevor Griffin has really helped me develop as a player, not just as a bowler, in every key aspect as a cricketer. I need to mention Jack Brooks as well because he’s done a lot of work with me on my action and ultimately that’s led to me putting on a bit more pace and bowling a bit more away swing. I can’t thank him enough. Everything has happened very quickly and the dedication from Storm throughout the winter has really helped me to progress as a professional over the past year.”

With the two of you and Heather Knight in the squad, there will be three Storm players available for the selection. How important is that from your perspective?

LF: “To have three players from Storm in the squad is fantastic. I know Dani well and I’ve always enjoyed playing with Heather when she’s been with Storm.”

DG: “It’s great to have Lauren here. We get on really well and it’s nice to have a familiar face around. We know each other’s games really well so it will be great to have her here. It will also be great to be able to train and hopefully play with Heather again. She’s been a key player for Storm over the years and it’s great to be around players of her quality.”

Have you been pleased with your form so far this summer?

DG: “Coming into this summer after a couple of chats at the end of last season, I just wanted to have a strong winter and make sure that I put more runs on the board more consistently and took more wickets. Those were the main aims and I think that’s been going well so far. Hopefully, I can continue that because I just want to play at my best, take wickets and score runs. I want to give myself the opportunity to take every opportunity that I can.”

LF: “It’s always nice to be able to do well for the team, but I would have liked to have taken a few more wickets in the T20s.”

What do you hope to achieve during your time with the England squad?

LF: “Given the quality that we’ve got in the squad, I know that I potentially might not play. However, my main goal is to play for my country and I’m just living in the moment and appreciating the fact that I’ve been given this opportunity to be in an Ashes squad. Even if I don’t play, I will learn a lot. With the players and coaching staff that England have, this is a chance for me to really develop my cricket both on and off the pitch.”

DG: “The dream is to make your debut for your country, so if it does come this summer then I hope that I can make the most of it. I’m just going to keep training hard and doing my best.”

England Women’s Test squad will play Australia A in a three-day warm-up fixture at the Incora County Ground, Derbyshire, starting on Thursday 15 June.

Heather Knight’s side then kick off their Ashes summer with a five-day Test match at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, on Thursday 22 June.

The multi-format series will consist of one LV= Insurance Test match (worth four points), three We Got Game ODIs and three Vitality IT20s (each worth two points). The Test match will be England Women’s first over five days on home soil.