Bouchier believes that the improvement in her performances is down to opportunity, but also a focus on the mental side of the game. Lewis revealed that the coaches are not doing “technical” work with her, instead discussing how to build an innings. “The work that we’ve done with her in particular is around controlling emotion and controlling herself in the game and thinking tactically about how she’s going to play,” he said.
“I definitely think it’s been more of a focus working on the mental side of my game,” Bouchier says. “I have taken a lot of time out of cricket to talk to coaches and figure out what’s next and how I can get to the top level. The international level is very hard, and that’s what we have to do to stay at that level consistently.
“It’s about avoiding distraction. How can I shut out everything that is happening around me and focus on what I am doing?
“I’ve leant on two coaches, Alex Gidman with England and Paul Prichard at Southern Vipers. They are in my corner, which is what I’ve needed in the last year, to chat through those feelings, getting what’s in my head out there. I’ve been a lot more open with how I talk to people, and how I’ve felt in different situations.”
Lewis has been in charge for around 18 months now, in which time there have been considerable changes to the back-room staff and a number of young players have been blooded. They were knocked out of the T20 World Cup in South Africa at the semi-final stage – unquestionably a disappointment – and pulled off an impressive fightback to draw the women’s Ashes (which nevertheless were retained by Australia). Bouchier believes, though, that this is a team ready to win something significant.
“We are, 100 per cent [ready to win something],” she says. “This group has come on so much in the last year. Jon has done a fantastic job. As much as none of us like losing, we had to go through that period of finding out what made us tick.
“What happened last year was incredible, finding that fight in the Ashes, while looking to inspire and entertain as Jon wants us to, to be aggressive and have that high intensity. That is ingrained in the group now. What is really important going into the next two events at the end of the year is that we don’t stop doing that. There are things to improve, but I think the wins will come because the group is working so hard. There’s a big summer for us.”
Starting on Saturday, England have the chance to prove that.