Amanda-Jade Wellington: "A doctor told me I was putting my life at risk every day"

SVT (supraventricular tachycardia) - which results in heart-rate spikes due to a fault in the electrical signals controlling the heartbeat - is a condition that Wellington has had to live her whole life with. Now, after the surgery, she's adapting to a new reality. And taking wickets for fun for a Hampshire side that has almost forgotten what it's like to lose cricket matches.

TH: You've had quite a journey to get here this season - how are you feeling?

Yeah, I'm really relieved that it's done. The whole SVT condition had been on my mind for a while. We actually had a situation last time I was in the UK where it came up in conversations again about getting surgery.

Before you play in a tournament you have to get a heart scan, and mine from Australia had run out, so I had to get one done over here. They found the SVT, which I'd already disclosed - it had ruled me out of a game previously - and then there were conversations about needing clearance to play.

Surgery was put back in the mix. In the end, I played the whole year through Australia, before we got knocked out of the WNCL (Women's National Cricket League) finals, which gave me a window before coming to the UK.

That's when we decided to go ahead with it. I've been really thankful to get it done. It's off my mind now. It feels weird, honestly - having what feels like a brand new heart that actually beats correctly for once.

Is that something you no longer need to worry about moving forward?

I'd like to think so - touch wood. Everything's been done properly and taken care of. I know when I get back to Australia I've got to check back in with the surgeon just to see how everything's going.

But yeah, the SVT condition is something that has always been there and I think always will be in the back of my mind. You just can never fully switch off from something like that.

When you talk about heart conditions, I think a lot of people over here will remember the Christian Eriksen situation (when the Dane collapsed on the pitch at Euro 2020). Watching that raised awareness of heart conditions massively. Was there a moment for you when the seriousness of it really hit home?

I've lived my whole life with SVT, but the moment that really scared me was when a doctor sat me down and said, basically, you are putting your life at risk - you could drop dead within an instant.

I think it just hit me then, how serious it actually was. And then going into surgery, I was so scared. Because at the end of the day, it is heart surgery. It was a lot to process.

What are your earliest memories of SVT as a kid - what did that look like for you?

It's funny, my earliest memories of it, and they're sort of happy memories too, was every time I'd suffer an episode as a kid, my dad would just turn me upside down. That was his solution.

Has going through all of that given you a fresh perspective? You strike me as someone who enjoys life to the full anyway, but does something like this change how you see things?

I try to live life with no regrets and no stone unturned - that's always been me. But I think what really made me sit down and think about it seriously was considering the bigger picture. What if, hypothetically, it affected things in the future - trying to start a family, for instance. I've got my parents to think about. My partner. It's not just about me anymore.

I love playing cricket. Cricket has always been my identity. But even missing one game for surgery, ultimately I had been putting my life at risk, and that's the reality. You have to face that.

Knowing I've had it, whenever I do start a family, I would immediately get a test done. That would be a priority.

Right - let's talk cricket, because on the pitch it's been a remarkable season so far. How have you found life at Hampshire?

The Hampshire group is so welcoming and just so vibrant. I feel like the cricket we're playing is reflecting the vibe in the group.

We just love each other's company, and I think you can tell that when you rock up to a game and watch us play - we're on the side, we're on the field, we're having fun, we enjoy everyone's success whether they're playing or not.

We care about people. There's a real love and desire to spend time with each other, which is something I really admire.

This Sunday we're going to have a barbecue, and it's just the little things that matter most. Even on a rest day, people put it on the group chat - they're going for coffee, going for a walk, does anyone want to join? It's not just that we're co-workers.

We're actually really good friends.

That must make a real difference when you're away from home for an extended period?

Honestly, it's been really nice. Ever since I joined Hampshire there's always been a warm gesture - if I need anything, I just put my hand up or send a message.

I remember the first day I didn't even have a car and I had about four offers of a lift. It's just the little things that don't go unnoticed. The one percenters.

It's so nice to be in this environment.

And on the pitch it's gone brilliantly as well, both in the Blast and the Metro Bank One Day Cup....

Yeah, I couldn't agree more. I always say this: a winning habit - once you know how to do it, you can constantly do it. The fact that we're doing it consistently this year shows that Hampshire, just know how to win.

We love a bit of Aussie rivalry over here. How much of it is for show and how much is genuine - particularly having played against England in international cricket yourself?

It's so weird - I feel like every time I go to a different competition I just evolve into that personality.

Sometimes I forget I'm even Australian when I play in England because I'm so used to being here, so used to being in these tournaments.

Sometimes I forget I'm the international player too - I just feel like a local, which is an awesome feeling to have in every country.

But yeah, I love the competition, and I couldn't think of anything I'd rather be doing right now.

Are you a different person when you cross the white line, or are you the same Amanda as you are off the field?

Completely the same. You'll never see me going crazy on the field or off it. I'm always bubbly and smiley, always trying to have a conversation on the field - especially with people I've played with or against before.

We're always having a chuckle. It must be quite funny to watch from the outside, actually.

Hampshire have some exciting young players coming through - Ella (McCaughan), Daisy Gibb, and of course Freya Kemp going on to do brilliant things with England this summer. Have you noticed the evolution of women's cricket gathering pace?

One hundred per cent. Every year the competition is growing - whether that's the players themselves or the environment they're growing up in.

The entry level for Tier One cricket has been elite, and the standards keep rising. There's so much raw talent coming through the system now that it's almost scary to think what England are going to look like as a team in the next few years.

Australia have set the standard for so long but I think England are closing it already. It's getting to a stage where the gap isn't really a gap anymore. The way Australia raised the bar forced everyone else to rise to the occasion, and they're doing exactly that.

I love what Charlotte Edwards is doing with the England team.

Who do you think reaches the final of the T20 World Cup?

I'm going to say no to Australia and England. I'm going to say India and England. I would love to see a repeat of the 2017 ODI World Cup final.

I still remember getting knocked out by India when I was playing for Australia - we went home early, but I actually stayed and watched that final between India and England at Lord's.

I had never been before. What a game.

I would love to see a repeat of that.

So England to win the T20 World Cup, and Hampshire to win the Blast and the One Day Cup?

I would absolutely love to go back-to-back in terms of winning both competitions.

I haven't actually won either of those yet with Hampshire or the Southern Vipers as they used to be known, so either one would be brilliant. Both would be something else.

Is there any chance we might see you back at Hampshire next year?

One hundred per cent, I would love to come back.

The Hampshire environment is just something I've absolutely loved and thrived in. I'm fully open to the idea, but we'll have to wait and see if anything gets put forward and if there are conversations to be had. It's an exciting thought though.