The Analysis: Emily Arlott's stock continues to rise

NICK FRIEND: England will be encouraged by her development – a progression that speaks to the benefits of a professionalised domestic circuit. At Edgbaston, she conceded just 19 runs in 20 balls, including the key scalp of Nat Sciver

Emily Arlott has spent enough time around the England team in the last 12 months for it to be clear that they are impressed by what they see.

She was drafted in ahead of the Test against India in 2021 ahead of The Hundred though didn't play and was instead restricted to a watching brief. By her own admission, it was an opportunity to learn: she didn't even believe she was in contention for anything beyond representing Central Sparks in the regional competition. When Jonathan Finch, England's director of cricket, got in touch to share the news, Arlott left him hanging for two minutes on the other end of the line while she came to terms with his bombshell.

Knight acknowledged shortly after Arlott's name appeared in her squad that she'd hardly been familiar with her work until a month earlier, around the time that her new seamer – then 23 – had completed a quadruple-wicket maiden against Southern Vipers in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.

A year on, an international appearance remains elusive, but England will be encouraged by her development – a progression that speaks to the benefits of a professionalised domestic circuit. She was expensive in last year's Hundred but has since spent a winter in Australia and might have made her Test debut against South Africa but for a bout of Covid.

At Edgbaston, as Birmingham Phoenix went to a second straight victory, she was the most successful bowler on her side but in a subtler manner than might be expected of a tall seamer who initially came to England's attention because of her ability to generate extra bounce and seam movement.

^{Ellyse Perry and Amy Jones guided Birmingham Phoenix to victory (David Rogers/Getty Images)}

She conceded just 19 runs in 20 balls, including the key scalp of Nat Sciver that precipitated a collapse from which Trent Rockets never recovered. They lost six wickets in 20 balls, adding 18 runs in the process. Sciver made 31 and Elyse Villani 33. Only Kathryn Bryce, cobbling together 12 runs from No.10, joined them in reaching double figures.

"She's been great all year, leading into The Hundred," said Amy Jones afterwards: only five players took more wickets in the Charlotte Edwards Cup, with Grace Potts the only seamer of that quintet.

"Her changes of pace were outstanding," added Sophie Devine, who is captaining Arlott and saved her for the tougher sets. "The confidence she had in her change-ups, knowing where her field goes. That makes my job so much easier."

Marie Kelly and Alana King are two of the bigger hitters in the tournament, but Arlott accounted for both in the space of three balls, helped by an excellent catch from Devine running back from mid-on that put the cherry on the best fielding performance of the women's competition so far. The only blip, unusually, came from Amy Jones, who missed the chance to have Sciver stumped early in the piece.

Otherwise, it was difficult to fault Phoenix, who stuttered briefly with the bat but were revived by a streetwise partnership between Jones and Ellyse Perry, against which Rockets were powerless.

^{Birmingham Phoenix were exceptional in the field (David Rogers/Getty Images)}

Perry poses an intriguing dilemma: this was only her second match since the World Cup final four months ago, and her back problems mean that she is still only playing as a batter, though Devine exploited her composure in the field, positioning her in the hotspots at deep midwicket at all times. She is averaging 97 at this early stage, effortlessly ticking along as only she can. Whether it is a style that will force Australia into a rethink, having dropped her from their T20 line-up, is less clearcut.

She was left out for Tahlia McGrath essentially because of her scoring rate, so starting slowly and catching up might not necessarily force her country's hand. On a difficult surface, however, it was invaluable all the same, with Jones the aggressor and there at the end as Phoenix won with nine balls to spare.

Rockets are yet to reach 120 in two matches. Birmingham, meanwhile, are unbeaten, well-oiled and look hard to beat.

Related Topics

• Birmingham Phoenix v Trent Rockets AS IT HAPPENED