Emily Drumm

Emily Drumm rolled into New Zealand women's team in 1992 aged just 17. A sweet 16 years later she brought up her 100th one-day international in a glittering career, the highlight of which was lifting the World Cup on home soil as captain in 2000.

After leaving the next World Cup in 2005 with a serious hamstring injury, Drumm thought about quitting the game. "It was a major low and I could not finish that way," she admitted - and decided to play on. It wasn't an easy recovery - there were three months of intensive rehabilitation - but it was worth it when she became just the fifth female player to bring up a century of one-day appearances in the process.

She is the fourth highest scorer in one-dayers, too, but like a true professional she admits that it's the winning, not the statistics, which drive her on. "I was to leave with a respectable record," she admits, "but the main thing for me is to win cups and trophies." Defeat in her first World Cup final in 1993, aged 18, hurt - and so the win next time out was a chance to avenge some demons. She struck 21 but that wasn't, of course, the be-all or end-all - the winning was everything.

In her five Tests to date she has struck two centuries and two fifties - not a bad return at all. She can also be proud that her contribution to women's cricket nationally and regionally was acknowledged when she won the Auckland Sportsperson of the Year award in 2001. She also won New Zealand Cricket's premier batting award for women's cricket, the Ruth Martin Cup, two seasons running.

Drumm made a superb 67 not out against a wimpering, below-par India during the recent one-dayers. For her fantastic form, she was shortlisted for the inaugural ICC Women's Player of the Year in October 2006, an award which eventually went to Karen Rolton.

But just as she was enjoying an injury-free period, her hamstring problem struck again - in May 2007, when she was playing touch rugby in England where she has been living for the last few years.

Thoughts once more turned to retirement, although that still remains to be seen - she is still keen to carry on playing for Kent.

When she's not playing she works as a relocations consultant for the Crown Relocation company in England.

Jenny Thompson June 2007