England's search for a leg-spinner led them to Sarah Glenn, a match-winning youngster with all-round credentials

NICK FRIEND AT THE INCORA COUNTY GROUND: England have lucked out. In three ODIs, she has taken eight wickets at 11.62 apiece; in WT20Is, that record stretches to 18 scalps in 12 games, all with an economy rate of just 5.44

For Sarah Glenn, this series represents a homecoming.

She had never played a game for England on home soil until Monday evening, having initially arrived on the international stage in the curious setting of Kuala Lumpur, drafted in to face Pakistan as the product of a long-term yearning for a leg-spinner.

Ever since then, she has locked herself in as a key figure in a side she went to Lord’s as a fan to watch claim World Cup glory only three years ago.

She has long been a staple of Denby Cricket Club, where her older brother and sister still play. Her father and uncle both played Premier League cricket there – a fifteen-minute drive from Derbyshire’s Incora County Ground, the pasture of her youth. She is Derby born and bred.

“It’s quite special because this is the ground where I grew up playing,” she reflected after her player of the match display on Wednesday. “It felt like quite a special moment and like I’ve done people at home proud.”

Former head coach Mark Robinson told The Cricketer ahead of the T20 World Cup that he had been “banging on for ages” about the importance of a wrist-spinner.

Ali Maiden, Robinson’s long-time assistant, was in interim charge when he handed Glenn her debut when the time came last December. Ahead of the Malaysia tour, he spoke to The Cricketer in gushing terms of his new secret weapon, describing her then as “the standout spinner in the Kia Super League”.

“We are aware that leg-spin is a massive asset,” he said. “She’s got a fantastic opportunity. Since I’ve been around with Robbo, we’ve been searching and trying to get a leg-spinner through. We know it’s important in the game – we only play 50-over and T20 cricket, so we knew it was absolutely vital.”

^{Glenn dismissed both Stafanie Taylor and Deandra Dottin in a match-winning display}

Both Robinson and Maiden have moved on, but their foresight was well-founded: England have lucked out. In three ODIs, she has taken eight wickets at 11.62 apiece; in WT20Is, that record stretches to 18 scalps in 12 games, all with an economy rate of just 5.44.

Beyond her numbers, however, the most exciting aspect of the 21-year-old is the tangible development her game has seen, even in her matter of months as an international cricketer.

Late last year, she rarely looked to spin the ball, instead bowling with a flatter trajectory and seeking to attack by targeting the stumps – the modern outlook of the white-ball spinner, more Rashid Khan than Shane Warne.

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On Wednesday evening, however, she took the two big fish in the West Indies line-up, with both Deandra Dottin and Stafanie Taylor beaten by slower, more traditional leg-breaks.

And yet, only 48 hours earlier, she had done for Taylor with a quicker, straighter delivery that skidded on from back of a length.

During lockdown, she talked to The Cricketer about her own plans for self-improvement and a desire to expand her repertoire. “The thing is, because I get quite a lot of bounce, I don’t want to lose that,” she explained.

“I tried getting more spin when I was younger, but I lost a lot of that bounce. It was quite hard to find that balance of both, so as I got older even though I wasn’t getting as much spin, it just seemed like it was natural to me and what felt right.

^{Glenn top-scored for England with 26}

“I was thinking about changing it, but people told me that I could still learn to bowl that ball that turns more and then just have it as a variation in a way. If I can learn to do both, then I have options. So, as much as it is tempting to go for more spin, what I do now does feel a lot more effective because I get a bit more dip as well.

“I feel like it’s a harder length to pick up than when I’ve tried to bowl with more spin. Even though I could get more spin, it wasn’t always as accurate. It would get a bit more floaty.”

And so, the dismissal of Dottin will have proven especially satisfying, with the talismanic opener through her sweep shot too early as Glenn beat her in the flight.

There is more yet to work on – her line was slightly wide at times in the first half of her spell on Wednesday. But, as she showed once again, she has a knack for dismissing good players. Dottin joins a list already featuring Taylor, Bismah Maroof, Hayley Matthews, Ashleigh Gardner, Rachael Haynes, Meg Lanning, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry and Marizanne Kapp.

“I started to get more confidence after playing against some top teams in the World Cup, and then it’s been hard to keep that up with the time off,” she added of her performance on Wednesday.

“But the time off did me well to clear my head and I’m really excited to be back playing - I’m playing with a clear head which is when I feel I play my best.”

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Earlier in proceedings, she produced a match-turning display with the bat, top-scoring after coming to the crease with England in some strife at 96 for 6.

Her 26 featured a melange of culture and brute force; one skip down the pitch saw her loft Afy Fletcher’s leg-breaks over extra cover for four – arguably the stroke of the evening, and one of four boundaries in her 19-ball stay.

Those who follow the women’s game beyond the international circuit have been expecting a breakthrough innings like this, having watched her open the batting for a short period during her time with Loughborough Lightning in the Kia Super League.

Somewhat remarkably, however, this was only the second time she has batted in England colours in 15 matches – a figure she hopes to alter.

“I really want to be seen as a genuine all-rounder,” she added. “I’ve been working hard on my batting over the last few years.

“The time off helped me clear my head and come back with a fresh mindset, to try and be really positive and keep playing in an attacking way whatever the situation is.”

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