Young cricket talent Davina Perrin has found a measure of peace with her recent Women’s T20 World Cup omission, a decision now compounded by a hamstring injury that will sideline her for weeks.
Despite her explosive 42-ball century in The Hundred last year, which showcased her immense potential, the 19-year-old was not included in England’s 15-strong squad, who opted for more experienced players.
Perrin, however, admits she anticipated the decision. Her modest debut season in Australia’s Big Bash League was followed by a disappointing return of just 37 runs across three innings during England’s intra-squad contests in South Africa in March.
“I didn’t get a phone call, I got a message just as they were about to announce selection,” Perrin told the Press Association. “It was more just ‘keep scoring runs’, pretty short and sweet. It’s part and parcel of the journey.
“I had opportunities over the winter in the Big Bash but I didn’t quite take those. You want to be involved in (World Cups) but it was more of a glimmer of hope than anything.”
She added: “I sort of saw it coming. They’ve got a really, really strong squad; the girls are really looking really strong. That bowling attack, especially the spinners, it’s lethal. I just wish them all the best more than anything.”
Any lingering hopes of being on standby were dashed just days after her exclusion when Perrin tore her hamstring on 6 May while jogging to prevent a boundary during Warwickshire duty. The injury means she will be out of action until at least the end of June.
“I was running at 60 per cent and as I was decelerating, my hammy just went,” she explained. “I tried to play on because I thought it might have just been really, really bad cramp and about an over and a half later I had to go off.”
The Wolverhampton-born teenager is now focusing on her recovery, aiming to be fit for The Hundred, where she will return to Birmingham Phoenix after the club paid £50,000 for her services.
“I’ve still got youth on my side so I’ll keep using that,” she affirmed. “I’ve still got so many more experiences ahead of me to learn from and I just look forward to those, more than anything. Even after having such a successful season last year, I still wanted to go back to my coach at Warwickshire and change my technique a bit and tinker with a few little things. I think the most important thing for me right now is keep growing, keep setting the bar high and keep trying my best.”
