Alice Davidson-Richards: "I've always had a deep-rooted faith in how good I could be"

NICK FRIEND AT TAUNTON: The England allrounder made a wonderful hundred on Test debut after coming to the crease with South Africa on top

Alice Davidson-Richards' hundred on Test debut was reward for a "deep-rooted faith" in her talent after four years away from the international scene.

The allrounder, 28, was England's oldest Test debutante since 2002 when she was picked to bat at No.7 against South Africa at Taunton.

But she repaid the faith of the selectors and, in doing so, highlighted the value of the regional structure as she put together a century of tremendous quality after coming to the crease with her team on the ropes at 121 for 5.

That she reached three figures alongside Nat Sciver, with whom she went to school and then carshared to training sessions at Loughborough, only added to the greatest day in her career.

"It was really special," said Davidson-Richards. "It means quite a lot having Nat there."

Davidson-Richards made all six of her previous international appearances within a fortnight-long spell in 2018, but she never passed 24 in four innings and went wicketless, before falling down the pecking order to the point that a recall started to look unlikely.

In reaching her hundred by carving one of 17 boundaries through the off-side, she became the first England player since WG Grace to hit a century and take a wicket on debut, proving that she had always had the game to achieve something of this magnitude.

^{Davidson-Richards celebrated emotionally after reaching her hundred on debut (Harry Trump/Getty Images)}

She has played herself into central contract contention and might just be an ideal option to bat in the same position in England's 50-over team.

"I've always kind of had a deep-rooted faith in how good I could be," she said, "and it was just knowing how to get there. Everything that's happened before has just allowed me to get to here, so I'm absolutely fine with everything that's happened before to be the player that I am now and the person that I am now.

"It [playing for England again] stopped being the forefront of my mind and then ended up being a case of: if I can be the best player that I can for South East Stars, then everything else on top of that would be a plus.

"I think I'm a lot nicer to myself, to be honest. I put a lot less on myself doing well all the time; it's a more well-rounded approach to it: how can I help the team, rather than have I done well or not done well."

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