TAMMY WIN IT
Show time for Beaumont after snow business kept star batter in top condition
TAMMY BEAUMONT has her eyes on capturing the biggest prize in women’s cricket in her march to become the world’s best batter.
And she used an unorthodox method of training in the winter – shovelling snow – to keep in shape for a World Cup summer.
The England opener has been at the forefront of their journey to tomorrow’s final against India at Lord’s, and is regarded as the most improved player of skipper Heather Knight’s era.
A top score of 148 not out in the tournament is why she has a realistic chance of fulfilling her dream of being the player of the match in an England triumph.
Beaumont, 26, said: “My main ambition is for the team to win and for us to win lots of trophies together. But of course I’d love to be the player of the match in the final that wins the trophy.
“As a player, you want to tick off a few things and when I decided to continue with cricket I said I wanted to be the best batter in the world and it was about how we get there.
“I’d also love to get a hundred against every nation that I play to show that you can do it in all conditions.”
The conditions were pretty different in Boston in February when she left the heat of Adelaide and the women’s Big Bash to visit her folks, who live in the US.
She revealed: “I had spent two months in hot, sunny Australia and then got to Boston, which had received 12 inches of snow overnight, and I spent the entire week I was there shovelling snow off their drive.
“It was a great bit of fitness work for the arms and kept me ticking over!”
Coach Mark Robinson, who made some tough calls in the wake of last year’s World T20 semi-final exit, said: “Tammy is an incredibly talented young lady.
“From where she was confidence-wise to where she is now, her journey has been incredible.”
And Beaumont added: “The World T20 in India was a massive eye-opener for us and you couldn’t go away from that and protect your ego.
“When Robbo said after the tournament that we weren’t fit enough and we weren’t good enough under pressure, you can’t hide away from that and you’d be stupid if you ignored it. We didn’t and we’ve put the work in.”