Bryony Smith feels the standard of players competing in the women’s Hundred, and the atmosphere generated by the ever-increasing crowds across the land, is helping to elevate the performances of those looking to make an impact at international level.

Smith, whose quickfire 63 against London Spirit was crucial in securing the spoils for Trent Rockets in their last outing at Trent Bridge, has made six appearances in her country’s colours across the white-ball formats.

The 24-year-old feels the step up to the England side is made smaller by exposure to The Hundred.

“We’re seeing now over the last couple of years that, if you perform at the level of The Hundred, you can bridge the gap and go on to do well for your country,” she said.

“It’s the fact that we’re playing best-vs-best that gives us that ability – and playing at big grounds only helps us improve too.

“The big-game atmospheres we had at the Commonwealth Games didn’t faze us, because we’re all used to it having played in The Hundred. That can only help us moving forward.

“As soon as you walked out on to the field for your first Hundred game last year, it was a real ‘wow’ moment. Things are moving so quickly in women’s sport now – you’d never have thought a few years ago that a women’s international could sell out the MCG – so it’s really exciting to be a part of.”

Smith’s match-defining half-century against Spirit was played out in front of a crowd of 10,133 – a record for a women’s fixture at Trent Bridge.

The right-hander was joined at the crease by seasoned internationals Elyse Villani (Australia) and Nat Sciver (England) – and the ability to learn from such stalwarts of the sport at close quarters has been priceless.

“One of the reasons I wanted to come to the Rockets was some of the names I’d be playing alongside,” she said.

“You can learn so much – and not just about how they go about things on the pitch either.

“You can pick their brains about things like preparation, recovery, and what they do off the pitch to make sure they’re mentally prepared to perform during games. I’m always keen to learn about things like that.

“Everyone has their own way of doing things, but you can definitely pick up a few good habits as you go.”

Smith’s encounters with fellow sportspeople from different disciplines during the Commonwealth Games were eye-opening.

A host of chance conversations served as a reminder of how significant professionalism has been for women’s cricket.

“So many athletes from different sports had to fund themselves, just so they could take part in their events,” she said.

“It made me feel really grateful for what I do. To be able to be a professional cricketer, and devote my time to that, makes such a massive difference.”

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