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Hamstring injury forces Drumm to miss Twenty20s

Emily Drumm has thought about quitting after a recurrence of a hamstring injury

Jenny Roesler
Jenny Thompson
07-Jun-2007
Emily Drumm has pulled out of the Invitational XI Twenty20s in England with a recurrence of her hamstring injury. Drumm, New Zealand's prolific batsman, nearly quit the game in 2005 after damaging her leg during the World Cup but fought her way back to recovery.
She had been injury-free for two years until two weeks ago when she damaged her leg playing touch rugby. "The game is really good for fitness and I thought I was Jonah Lomu at one stage, flying down the wing!"
More seriously, she is fearful that, on past experience, the suggested period of a few weeks' recovery will in fact take much longer. And now she is toying with the idea of quitting. "Maybe someone's trying to tell me I should retire," she said, although she was smiling when she did so.
What is for certain is that she will miss the curtain-raisers against the England XI at the end of June, which will be played before two men's county matches. "I have just withdrawn from these games," she told Cricinfo, "so it's very disappointing as they are my favourite form of the game. It's good for women to try to play a more aggressive game."
And regardless of whether she recovers in time for New Zealand's tour in August, she will not be playing. The management have stipulated that players must play in New Zealand state cricket to be eligible for the tour, but as Drumm has been over in England for the past years, she is ruled out - despite playing county cricket for Kent.
"It's extremely disappointing," she says, although that will not stop her from watching the series. "I will help them out when they come over here if I can."

Jenny Thompson is assistant editor of Cricinfo