Lauren Filer, a promising 24-year-old cricketer, is determined to break the 80mph barrier in women’s bowling, a feat that has never been officially recorded in any women’s international match. In fact, her ambition extends well past her own aspirations. Her key ambition is to encourage a new generation of female fast bowlers to bowl as quickly as she does.
Filer showcased her amazing talents in an integral group stage T20 clash versus India at Old Trafford. She bowled three of the ten fastest women’s overs ever recorded. Her performance was instrumental in England’s narrow five-run victory, which bolstered the team’s confidence after a challenging outing that saw them lose nine wickets for just 31 runs. She was known for her prized claim of Indian opener Smriti Mandhana. This attainment proves all the more to solidify her place as an important piece in the puzzle of the team.
Filer is included in the same One Day International (ODI) squad. She realizes she’ll have to sharpen her skills as she prepares for a hectic fall, particularly with the first-ever Women’s World Cup in India on the horizon – much awaited by all. Looking back at how she performed, she said she was hopeful for where the team was headed.
“The mentality we had moving forward and into that game, when good and bad things happened, we stayed level. And I think that’s where we want to be in these pressure situations and show we can do it against the best in the world.” – Lauren Filer
Filer found special joy in the team’s recent performance against the West Indies. This victory has created a new optimistic aura for their upcoming games. She reinforced the need for doing well to be the norm, not the exception. They are getting ready to face India again in a three-match ODI series.
“We can’t wait to see how we go against India. We obviously played very well against West Indies, I think we want to take that into India and hopefully we can get a few wins before the World Cup.” – Lauren Filer
The young bowler’s aspiration to achieve 80mph is rooted not only in personal ambition but in her desire to elevate the women’s game as a whole. She stated,
“It’s not necessarily a personal milestone for myself, but actually proving women can get to that milestone, and hopefully others can follow as well.” – Lauren Filer
Filer acknowledges that success at this rate would continue to transform the image of women’s cricket.
“I don’t want it just to be one or two people – we want loads of women to be able to be bowling at that speed,” she asserted.
Filer, like his community, isn’t nostalgic. He’s future-oriented to a fault. She’s confident that her work and that of her fellow players will make women’s cricket more exciting. As the team prepares for their next competitive act, what they’re most concerned with is “stringing together that momentum and confidence” as Riley labeled it from his recent performances.
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