Brunt flies out to join England squad

Katherine Brunt, the England fast bowler, will join the England Women's squad on their Australasian tour, with a view to competing on their second leg, in New Zealand, which gets underway at the end of February.

Brunt, 20, passed a fitness test at the England academy in Loughborough on January 29 and will fly out to join the squad in Sydney on February 12. Brunt, who was named Player of the Series in England's 2005 Ashes win, has not played for England since 2006 when she pulled up with a back injury in the Test match against India at Grace Road.

She underwent rehabilitation for that injury and was bowling in the nets ahead of the quadrangular series in Chennai 12 months ago, but then suffered a prolapsed disc and as a result was ruled out of the series. Since then, she has undergone an intradiscal electrothermal shrinkage (IDET) procedure along with intensive rehabilitation.

"It's good news to hear that Katherine will be joining us," Mark Dobson, the England coach, said. "She's a fine bowler and more than capable batter as well as a fierce competitor. She really does add a lot to the squad. She has shown her intent to return to the international scene by committing herself to an intensive recovery programme over the last twelve months.

"The chance to play in New Zealand is just reward for her efforts. I would be naïve to think that she can play in every game on that leg of the tour; it's important that we ease her back in gently, but, that said she is a very determined character who will want to play a full role."

"I'm ecstatic to be getting back into cricket," Brunt said. "Playing international cricket again is what I've been dreaming about and working towards since I got injured. All I've thought about since the injury is walking back over the ropes and start playing again.

"I obviously want to help England beat New Zealand on their tour over there and it'll be great to join up with the girls to give them some support in Australia beforehand.

"Hopefully from now until the World Cup next year I'm going to reach my peak, which I haven't done yet in my career. There's a lot more of me to come."