Amy Jones is playing for Loughborough Lightening in the Kia Super League, which is bringing together stars of women's cricket from around the world from 30th July 2016.
Amy Jones
Can you let me know a little bit about your passion for cricket and where it started?
I played a lot of different sports as a child, including cricket and football, but much preferred cricket especially because of the weather! I started cricket at primary school and started out playing with the boys - I went on to join women's teams and eventually the England Academy.
What was the process like to be chosen for the England Women's Cricket Team?
I was playing for the Academy team at the time and I first got called up due to an injury, as a member of the squad broke her thumb, and I was brought into the squad in the summer. I was delighted to be called up. I had my debut in the World Cup 2013, against Sri Lanka.
How are you and fellow women treated in this industry which can be quite male-dominated?
We're treated very well, as the team is now professional and we have a lot of support. I guess at first it can be quite daunting, especially when a lot of me and the rest of the team started off, as we were playing alongside the boys. However they were always very friendly and quite protective. Now though there's obviously girls' clubs, so girls can go straight in so they don't have to play men's cricket.
Have you noticed attitudes changing then throughout your career and time in sport?
Yeah definitely. As I said before when I started off I was playing boy's cricket, but now there's a clear pathway for the girls to play school cricket at all levels. Also there's a lot of support and sponsorship from brands such as Kia, and we also have a great deal more coverage across television and radion with Sky Sports and the BBC, which is huge for us.
What advice would you give to young females who want to get involved in the world of sport?
I would say go for it, and try as many sports as you can. Growing up I played tennis, football and cricket. So the more you try out, the more you can find a sport that is suited to you. Give it a go, try as many as you can and make sure you find something you enjoy!
Can you tell us a little bit about the Kia Super League you'll be playing in this summer?
The Kia Super League is a tournament happening this summer, with six women's teams playing at different locations around the UK. We've got a lot of the England team involved, and in each team the England players have been split and allocated amongst the teams, so it should be very competitive! There are three overseas players who are coming over to play for each team, so the standard will be very high.
The Kia Super League is all about creating more opportunity for women's cricket, it's going to help to increase the standard of play for our international matches and hopefully get a lot more people excited about the sport.
What have been some of your favourite moments of your career to-date?
As an individual, making my debut was very special. As a squad, I would say winning the Ashes, which meant we retained the title, and beating Australia back to back on their home soil was a great achievement.
Who are some of your heroes in women's cricket?
Growing up I saw Charlotte Edwards play, and obviously she's been prolific for England for so many years, scoring so many runs, so I always looked up to her.
Finally, what's next for you?
So we're all playing our county season at the moment, starting with Warwickshire. Then every week we have our England camps, building up to the Pakistan Series at the end of June and July.
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