‘Focus and reset’ – the bracelets keeping Bell on track

Every time Lauren Bell plays for England, she always sports two bracelets.

They are made at home; one word says “focus,” the other says “reset,” and they represent a small portion of Bell’s rapid progression from promising youngster to attacking leader in three years.

The 24-year-old is gearing up for her first 50-over World Cup, which will be played in Sri Lanka and India, and is a top-notch seamer.

With 24 wickets in 16 one-day internationals and an economy rate of just over five runs per over, she has been England’s most consistent pace bowler since the start of 2024. With 19 wickets won in nine matches, she also took the top spot in The Hundred.

Bell is incredibly clear about what makes her tick and has an infectious optimism about her career.

I quickly discovered in cricket that I must concentrate to get the most out of myself because I can be distracted and drift away quickly, Bell said.

A bad ball can suddenly make a bad over, and a bad over can turn into a bad spell as a bowler.

Before Bell had made her international debut, Bell had won the previous 50-over World Cup in New Zealand in 2022, but after England A and England A met for the winter in Australia, she was chosen as a traveling reserve.

When the rest of the squad had returned home after contracting Covid-19, Bell became bored and alone in quarantine. She wants to make her mark on the most recent edition when England play South Africa on Friday, which is of little surprise.

When Bell was asked how her career had changed since that tournament, Bell responded, “It’s crazy.

Even as a reserve, “Looking back]to 2022” was way beyond my expectations.

Bell is England’s strike powerplay bowler, and her confidence when bowling during that phase, which is frequently thought to be one of the most difficult, demonstrates her faith and determination in her mental attitude. She now swings the ball both ways and with clever variations in pace.

You’re obviously hitting the best batters, Bell said, but I take it another way: I get to swing the ball, so you know it’s a big chance for wickets.

It’s the ideal time to bowl, in my opinion. I believe that this is a chance for me to start playing.

Instead of worrying that it will make it easy for them to score boundaries, I enjoy opening the bowling.

With Em Arlott and Lauren Filer serving as the other frontline seamers and captain Nat Sciver-Brunt playing all-rounder, head coach Charlotte Edwards removed veteran seamer Kate Cross from England’s squad, giving Bell additional responsibility.

As all teams experienced at the T20 World Cup last year in the United Arab Emirates, the conditions in Guwahati have been extremely humid and challenging.

This has been a factor for Bell, who might have had little time to rest because he could start the bowling with spinners.

Nobody would have seen what we did behind the scenes, she said.

Nobody will notice that we ran these long-running and top-up sessions after games during The Hundred.

I want to ensure that I can bowl as quickly as I can in the final over of the tournament as I can in the first one, especially for me as a seamer.”

Bell may be playing in Bell’s first World Cup, but she might be one of England’s most significant players.