Freya reflects on her big week

It’s been quite a week for Western Storm’s Freya Davies.

Not only has the 23-year-old earned her first central contract with England, she has also been named in the England squad for the IT20 series in India and the tour of Sri Lanka.

So, how did she cope with one of the biggest weeks of her life?

“It’s certainly up there as one of the best weeks I’ve had for a while,” she said when we caught up with her earlier this week.

How did she find out about her contract and her inclusion in the squads?

“I actually knew about the central contract about a month ago. I got a call from Mark Robinson whilst I was out for dinner with my brother, and he told me over the phone. It then turned in to more of a celebratory dinner, which was nice.

“With regards to the call up for the England squads, I got a call from one of the selectors a couple of weeks ago and obviously I was really excited.”

Has she been speaking to her Western Storm teammates to get their advice ahead of the tours?

“Definitely,” she said. “I’ve been picking their brains all week about everything. From what I should pack to what the conditions will be like, I’ve been finding out everyone’s little tricks.”

How did Freya become involved in the game?

“My older brother used to play and I didn’t want to sit and watch him anymore, so I started joining in,” she explained. “I think I was about eight when I played my first game and it just went on from there.

“I played boys cricket whilst I was growing up, and then I got involved with the Sussex Women’s set up from the age of about ten. I played my first senior game when I was 14 and eventually went on to the England Academy. Things just seemed to progress from there.

“I went to the University of Exeter to study law and that’s how I got involved with Western Storm because they are affiliated with the Uni. That was my route in to the KIA Super League and for the meantime cricket is the main focus. The intention is to go back to law at some point, but for now I’m more than happy to try and go as far as I can in cricket.”

How important does Freya feel that the KSL has been to her development?

“In my opinion it’s been hugely important,” she said. “For players like me it’s really been our first chance to play against international players. It’s also given us the chance to show the selectors that we can really hold our own in that environment. It means that the step up to international cricket will be a slightly less daunting one because I’ve faced the top players in the world already. That is the huge benefit of the KSL.

“Stepping up to the KSL from county cricket was definitely a learning curve during that first season but having Heather and Anya on my side really helped. They were really supportive and helped me through it and I feel that I held my own, which is what I was hoping for in that first season.

“I’ve learned a huge amount from Anya. Not only is she a calming influence on the pitch, she’s excellent in training. If I ever need to ask her something or bounce something off her, she’s always there.

“Being a part of the England Academy will really help with the transition because I’ve trained with most of the players and know some of them quite well, which will make it much less daunting.”

What is Freya looking forward too most ahead of joining up with the rest of the England squad?

“Making my debut would be amazing but India and Sri Lanka are incredible countries and just being in the squad and learning how it all works is my main aim. It’s an Ashes summer and that has to be the goal but I’m just staying focused on the short term for now. I really want to earn that first cap and then hopefully we can look at fighting for a place in the next squad.”