Tash talks tea, shoes and how her mum will come to the rescue...
Friday 8 December 2017 18:30, UK
In her first World T20 Diary entry, England Women’s Tash Farrant talks 'being mint' and swanky hotels and reveals how her mother will play a key role in India…
And so it begins - my first ever ICC world event.
Sitting here by the pool at our hotel in Chennai it all feels slightly surreal but mostly I'm just really excited about what's to come.
It all started with the flight out to India from Heathrow - it was a 'newbies only' car on the drive down to the airport from Loughborough (where I am currently in my first year at university) as I was joined by our physio, Susan, who is also making her World Cup debut.
With some great tunes and some not so great singing we embarked on the long voyage, having donned our new 'mint green' training kit. I'm thinking about dropping the marketing guys at ECB Towers a note to suggest a new slogan to replace "We Are England Cricket" - "Because we're mint!" (This obviously has to be said in Geordie accent at all times).
With a fairly smooth journey we arrived in India. The only blip being when Katherine Brunt realised she'd forgotten her 'caramel heels'. Definitely not a normal item on her packing list, so she can be forgiven for this faux-pas, but needed to go with our TM Lewin "Number 1s" (England suits). Or at least I hope that's the only time she plans to wear them!
Luckily my mum is flying out to support us once things get under way, so will come to the rescue, along with ferrying a few other essentials that we have forgotten as a team. Most importantly a sack full of Yorkshire tea bags, after quickly realising that the tea here isn't quite to some of the girls' taste (a bit spicy).
The first bus journey from the airport is always a favourite touring moment of mine wherever we travel, and this time was no different being able to get my first taste of India through the bus window. Manic.
As a team we feel we have definitely lucked out with our team room in the hotel. It's the 'Presidential Suite'. Sounds very posh, I know, and posh it is! There are Jacuzzi baths, flat screen TVs and an enormous dining room table.
The most exciting thing of all is the one-person rocket like lift which I guess is a bit unnecessary to go up one small flight of stairs, but nevertheless, it is quite the gadget! There will most definitely be a few movie and room service nights going on in there!
With a couple of tough training sessions in the scorching heat here in Chennai we are champing at the bit to play our warm-up matches and to get some time out in the middle.
I'll be reporting back after them!
Until next time!
Fazza (Natasha Farrant, England Women's cricketer)
