How did you get into cricket? Dad played for the local club, mum made the teas and my brother and I would go along to watch and started playing on the boundary. I was also lucky in that I was able to play at my Cambridgeshire school. From there, I progressed to the county side.

What was the reaction to a girl playing the sport? Very few of the boys had a problem but sometimes at county trials I knew there were parents thinking: “What’s a girl doing here?”

Was there much sexism? A bit. I’d be rich if I had a pound for every time the opposition mocked one another about the possibility of being dismissed by a girl. Things changed once they saw you could play.

Do women cricketers sledge as much as men? It’s a different kind of sledging, less personal but just as psychological. The Australians are harder than most. My Ashes debut in 1997 was a baptism of fire. They were the world’s best team and I was a teenager but they didn’t hold back on the mind games.

What has been your career highlight to date? I made my England debut as a 16-year-old against New Zealand in 1996 and did quite well. But, as for any male cricketer from this country, the main focus has to be beating the Australians. We did it in 2005 for the first time in 42 years and got to join Michael Vaughan’s team on their Ashes victory parade and at the reception in Downing Street. I think retaining the Ashes last year was better. It was in their backyard, we had proved that the 2005 victory wasn’t a fluke and it came a year after the men had lost 5-0 Down Under.

Who are your cricket heroes? Growing up it would be Steve Waugh, because he was such a determined competitor. Of the current England team, it would be Freddie Flintoff. We’ve met many times and he has always been very supportive of the women’s team.

Have you played against many male cricketers? I played against Monty Panesar, James Foster and Scott Newman at junior county level. The main difference between the men’s game and the women’s game is power. A male batsman can mis-hit the ball and it will still go for four runs. That seldom happens with women.

How far has the women’s game come on in your time? Leaps and bounds. The media profile has improved and we are now taken seriously. When I first represented England we still wore skirts on the field! Adidas has designed kit for us and that reflects what we are - professional athletes. We don’t have central contracts but are paid by the Chance to Shine charity to promote the game.

Many female athletes have been photographed in revealing poses to promote themselves and their sport. Would you do the same? I live in the real world and know that women’s cricket needs all the publicity it can get. So in theory I don’t have any objection to something that achieves that. I would need to know exactly what it was I was being asked to reveal before I signed up to anything!

What changes to cricket would you like to see? In the 50-over one-day game, I would like more power plays. Twenty20 has upped the excitement level hugely and 50-over cricket needs to do the same. Test matches could be improved if there was a limit on the number of overs a side can bat in its first innings.