Mady Villiers: England off-spinner Mady Villiers said dismissing India captain Harmanpreet Kaur with a ball that spun through the gate was the perfect reward on an unforgettable Test debut, as she reflected on her breakthrough performance ahead of day two of the one-off women's Test against India at Lord's on Saturday.
Villiers, one of two England debutants in the historic first-ever women's Test at Lord's, played a pivotal role in the hosts' fightback on the opening day by removing Harmanpreet at the stroke of tea, helping shift the momentum after India had looked set for a much bigger first-innings total.
Looking back at the dismissal, the off-spinner described it as the ideal wicket for someone in her role. “Yeah, it is a dream off-spinner's wicket, isn't it, really? Up the slope as well. I think on day one, you don't really think that the ball will do that. But yeah, it was a dream. And I thought, why not give it a chance to get through the gate? It was a dream,” Villiers said.
The wicket capped an emotional return to the England setup for Villiers, who admitted that a Test debut had once seemed an unlikely prospect after spending time away from the national side.
“I didn't ever really think that it was an option for me. I feel like getting introduced quite young into the side and then sort of having a few years out, it's been a whirlwind. But yeah, as I said, I didn't think I was going to come, but when that call did come, I was over the moon and, yeah, really, really pleased with how it went,” she added.
Villiers also credited her move from Essex to Durham as a turning point in her development, saying the decision to leave her long-time home county challenged her to grow both as a cricketer and as a person.
“I think it's very quickly become my new home, and it's a place that you can go and feel welcome, not just the cricket but in general. It's a brilliant part of the world. And yeah, like I've said before, I never imagined leaving Essex. It was a really tough decision, like my whole family's down there. I've played cricket there my whole life. And speaking to Danny Hazel, Marcus North, and Holly as well, I think it was an offer that I couldn't really say no to.
“And I didn't want there to be any question marks around my game. Being at Essex was very comfortable for me. I knew my role there, I knew everything about the place, to be honest. And I just wanted to challenge myself a bit, play under different leaders, and be around different players. That only brings the best out in yourself. And I thought, why not just bite the bullet and make the move? It wasn't an easy one at all. I was in floods of tears when I told the Essex girls that I was going. And yeah, but it's nice that it's paid off and it's been a good move,” she stated.
With England possessing a strong spin department, Villiers acknowledged that cementing a regular place in the side remains a significant challenge despite an encouraging start to her Test career.
“And I didn't want there to be any question marks around my game. Being at Essex was very comfortable for me. I knew my role there, I knew everything about the place, to be honest. And I just wanted to challenge myself a bit, play under different leaders, and be around different players. That only brings the best out in yourself. And I thought, why not just bite the bullet and make the move? It wasn't an easy one at all. I was in floods of tears when I told the Essex girls that I was going. And yeah, but it's nice that it's paid off and it's been a good move,” she stated.
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Villiers' breakthrough came at a crucial stage of the innings, as England fought back after India had reached 190/3. The hosts eventually bowled India out for 285.