England all-rounder Alice Capsey will celebrate her 21st birthday on Monday back in her happy place of The Hundred after a year of personal learnings.
It was during the inaugural edition of the 100-ball competition in 2021 when Capsey was catapulted onto free-to-air TV screens as a teenager barely out of school that starred for eventual title-winners Oval Invincibles.
Capsey largely enjoyed an upward trajectory for the next three years before she entered choppy waters in the second half of 2024 when a group-stage T20 World Cup exit was followed by her being dropped by England.
Even though Capsey earned an instant recall, a chastening Ashes experience followed and the once new-kid-on-the-block has now played 71 times for her country, but is without an international half-century since July 2024.
Nevertheless, Capsey has relished life under new England head coach Charlotte Edwards, started to score domestic runs more consistently and is keen to add another Hundred title to the Kia Oval trophy cabinet ahead of Saturday’s fixture there against Manchester Originals.
“Yeah, I definitely feel a better cricketer. When you have such disappointments, it’s a really good time to reflect and review and put in a lot of work behind the scenes,” Capsey told the PA news agency.
“Lots of highs, lots of lows, which I guess is part and parcel of being a professional cricketer. Lots of personal learnings and also whichever team I’ve played in, lots of learnings as a group as well.
“It’s an exciting time because for me individually I know how much I’ve got to learn.”
There are not many better placed than Edwards to guide Capsey through the trials and tribulations of international cricket ahead of another crunch 12-month period.
Edwards made her England debut the day before her 18th birthday and went on to captain her country to two World Cup wins and three Ashes triumphs.
Appointed England head coach in April ahead of this year 50-over World Cup and next summer’s home T20 World Cup, Edwards watched her team dismantle West Indies comprehensively across six matches before losing to India in two white-ball series.
Capsey added: “Not only was she an incredible player but she’s had so much success as a coach, so just to be able to work under someone like that, get new ideas and a new perspective has been really positive.
“It’s been a summer where we have been challenged. That is what we’ve asked for in bilateral series, to be challenged so we learn how to perform under pressure when punches are being thrown our way.
“Hopefully that will put us in pretty good stead moving forward in ICC events and really important games.”
The immediate focus for Capsey is commitments for Oval Invincibles after a fine summer of county cricket for Surrey with 579 runs and 11 wickets across 14 matches.
“A lot of cricketers you speak to, everyone pencils in The Hundred in their calendar pretty early on,” Capsey explained.
“It’s definitely something I enjoy playing in and I definitely have a lot to thank for The Hundred with creating those opportunities for me and it’s always a place I like to come back to, especially being at the Oval and having that as our home ground.
“There are worst places to play! It’s a great time of the year and how much we enjoy it shows on the pitch and hopefully creates that energy for the fans.”
KP Snacks, the Official Team Partner of The Hundred, are celebrating the installation of 100 new community cricket pitches across England and Wales. To find out more and search for your nearest pitch, visit: www.everyonein.co.uk/pitchfinder.
