England fast bowler Lauren Filer is aiming to ramp up her pace and reach the 80mph milestone. Filer has already made a significant impact in the ongoing T20I series against England, having taken three wickets so far and clocked a delivery at 79.4mph during England’s narrow five-run victory at The Oval on July 4.
“I knew that I would be able to push close to 80 (mph), I sort of touched on 78 every so often in the last year,” Filer said. “It is not necessarily hitting that one ball that is 80, because that is not going to make a difference – the difference is the consistency of increasing my speed.”
She emphasized that her focus is on maintaining a higher average pace, not just hitting a top speed once. Filer detailed her improvement over the series, sharing, “From the game in Trent Bridge, I think I was averaging 73 then I went up to 75 in Bristol and then 76 at the Oval. That is what I am trying to aim for.”
“Hopefully I can hit that 80 number, but it is definitely just about trying to keep consistently bowling at that mid-70s, and I think in the women’s game, that is not heard of very often.”
With regular captain Nat Sciver-Brunt sidelined by a groin injury, Tammy Beaumont stepped in as skipper for the third match and is expected to lead again, hoping to guide England to another win and force a series decider at Edgbaston this weekend.
Reflecting on the team’s mindset after their first win in the series, Filer said, “After two defeats, I think we were still in a great place. “We knew where to improve and we know that on our day we can beat India – and obviously that was proved on Friday night.”
England lost the opening two games at Trent Bridge and Bristol giving India an upper hand early on in the series. She also added, “We will be taking the positives from that win and also learning from the mistakes we made in that game – it probably shouldn’t have been as close a game as it was – into Manchester.”
In the crucial moments of the 3rd T20I match, with India well placed at 131-2, Filer’s pace was decisive as she dismissed key opener Smriti Mandhana with less than five overs remaining—a wicket that proved vital to England’s win.
England won the third encounter of the series making the series 2-1 and keeping the series alive at the Kennington Oval in London. However, India with a historic win in the 4th T20I secured their first-ever series win against England.
Filer’s determination to consistently bowl at high speeds is not just a personal goal but also a statement for women’s cricket, as such pace is rarely seen in the women’s game.
