Heat is on as Dean Prepares to Lead England out at Lord's

Dean spent seven seasons with the Southern Vipers, winning five trophies, including the Charlotte Edwards Cup and Rachel Hayhoe Flint trophy.

She won the first of her England caps in 2021 when she was whistled up for national duty for an ODI series against New Zealand - finishing the series as the leading wicket-taker.

It took her just 26 matches to become the fastest woman to 50 ODI wickets for England.

The former Portsmouth Grammar School pupil made her Hampshire debut at the age of just 15 back in 2016 and is still a hugely popular figure at Havant Cricket Club, where she spent her formative years.

Now, as she prepares to lead England out at Lord's for a group stage match against West Indies that could seal their place in the last four of the competition, in soaring temperatures in North London this evening, there's a huge sense of pride that 'one of our own' is at the helm.

Just ask Emma Cowdrill, who first saw Dean play at RPC level and then went on to coach with Hampshire during her teenage years.

"Did she always stand out? Not in an overtly precocious way, no," says Cowdrill.

"She just worked very hard.

"She was very committed.

"She definitely had something - but there are plenty of girls who have something and don't put the effort in. Charlie always did.

"And she was just a lovely girl, which as a coach is really important.

"She was coachable. She wanted to learn, she wanted to improve.

"That's a delight to work with. You always want to be with children who want to learn."

Dean cut a far from imposing figure physically but made up for what she lacked in size in hunger, heart and ability.

A combination which have continued to serve her well in the top job in Sciver-Brunt's absence.

This is a cricketer who has had to fight her way to the top in every sense.

"She must have been about 11 when she was playing county under-13 cricket," says Cowdrill.

"She was always really small, which meant but she always appeared even younger than she actually was.

"I've got a fantastic photograph of that side all sitting on each other's laps in a line, and she's right at the front because she was the tiniest.

"She was at PGS and had quite a difficult time there initially, because the school wouldn't originally let her play cricket.

"There weren't enough girls to have a girls' team, and she couldn't play for the boy's side when she first went there.

"For a while that was a problem but her parents kept going into the school to push for a change and it did get sorted.

"She ended up playing for the PGS first XI."

Dean does, of course, come from a family with a rich cricket history.

Her dad, Shropshire-born Steven, played Minor Counties cricket and was a regular for Staffordshire for over 20 years. He also spent a single season on the staff of Warwickshire in 1993.

He moved to Hampshire to take up a job as a maths teacher at PGS.

Dean's own figures with the ball are hard to top.

She now has 72 England wickets from 54 matches in the shortest format, as well as enviable economy rate of 6.85.

In ODI cricket. meanwhile, she is closing in on 100 wickets - currently sitting just 14 short of that magic three figures.

For now, though, she'll be focusing on leading England to within touching distance of a home T20 World Cup final.

Having already done so much to inspire a generation of cricketers in the county she still calls home.

"What an example to be able to show the girls in Hampshire - that one of our own, somebody who started playing cricket here right from the very start, has gone on to captain England," says Cowdrill.

"For me, as someone who coached her at eight or nine years old, that's just wonderful.

"And she's given something back to Hampshire cricket as well, she really has.

"She donated some of her old England kit and we managed to raise £500 for the Hampshire Cricket Foundation - not everyone does that.

"A lot of players reach a certain status and forget what they can do for others. Charlie hasn't. That says everything about her.

"Last year we didn't have a single woman in the Hampshire women's team who had actually come up through our system.

"Not one.

"This year we've got Pippa (Sproul) back - she was at Middlesex last year but had been in the Hampshire pathway since the age of 11.

"But that's why it matters so much when someone like Charlie comes through.

"It's lovely having big names and fantastic players, but even more so when they've actually come through the Hampshire system.

"Our girls need to see that. They need to see what is possible."

Anyone heading to Lord's this evening will get the chance to see just that.