Em Arlott overcomes self-doubt to help England crush West Indies
Em Arlott overcame anxiety and self-doubt to impress with the ball and in the field on only her second England appearance, as Charlotte Edwards' selection decision paid dividends.
The West Indies were restricted to just 81 for nine from their 20 overs, with Arlott taking three wickets and two catches, on her first national call-up since 2022.
New captain Nat Sciver-Brunt spearheaded the run chase, scoring 55 as England knocked off the required runs with ease to win by nine wickets and seal victory in the T20 series with 10.4 overs to spare.
Arlott had been called up twice before, for the Test match against India in 2021 only to be left out of the playing XI and ahead of the 2022 Test against South Africa when she was ruled out while suffering from Covid after-effects, but never took to the field.
'It's probably not a publicly known thing, but I've struggled with anxiety in the past and if I played before I think I would've been a different person and player on the pitch,' she said after being awarded player of the match.
'Whereas now I feel like I've really worked on that away from the game and probably coming into this with a lot more confidence and actually believing that I'm good enough to be here, and actually then I think that kind of helps performing.'
Over the last few years, one of the criticisms directed at the England Women's set-up was their perceived lack of player rotation.
At the start of the professional era, the seam attack was led by Anya Shrubsole and Katherine Sciver-Brunt, but after their retirements the duo were never properly replaced. A number of players have been called up and struggled for consistency, but 27-year-old Arlott has taken to the task with aplomb in her first two matches.
Arlott, who is from Norfolk and came through the pathway system of Central Sparks and Worcestershire, did exactly what Edwards asked of players at the start of the year, taking 14 wickets in domestic cricket to earn a place in the team.
When asked what allowed her to overcome anxiety and perform on the international stage, Arlott said: 'I had to reflect a lot on what I could control in my life and I think the last time I came into this environment I don't think I believed I was good enough so I didn't really expect anybody else to believe that I was good enough.
'I've always struggled sort of going into newer teams and not knowing people and having to adjust, because the teams that I've played for at regional [level] have both been based in Birmingham, so I've been quite fortunate that I haven't really gone anywhere.
'I just challenged myself, so in the winter I went to Perth and I didn't know anybody and just made myself have to do something uncomfortable and actually it's been really nice that a lot of people have come up to me being like, 'You were a different person than you were 12 months ago'.
'As a person I think I'm more content with who I am and being who I am and not really caring how people take that rather than before.'
With ball in hand at the start of the innings in Hove, Arlott did well in the powerplay and claimed the two most dangerous West Indies wickets, bowling Hayley Matthews – who made a century in the first T20 on Wednesday in Canterbury – for just six. The experienced Stefanie Taylor also came back into the side and was out by Arlott, picking out Charlie Dean in the field for a duck.
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