Kia Super League: Danielle Hazell swaps Yorkshire for Lancashire
"Hopefully the World Cup win can spiral into the Super League and get people who perhaps haven't watched cricket before to have a look and have a go."
Friday 4 August 2017 15:42, UK
World Cup winner Danielle Hazell is ready to enter the cauldron at Headingley as she swaps white rose for red in the second edition of the Kia Super League.
Spinner Hazell was part of the England squad that lifted the ICC Women's World Cup in such thrilling style at Lord's last month, even though she did not play in the final itself.
In last year's inaugural KSL she was part of the Yorkshire Diamonds side that finished a disappointing fifth out of the six teams.
But for 2017 she has made the controversial trip across the Pennines to skipper Lancashire Thunder, who picked up the wooden spoon.
Her first match is a televised Roses clash at the home of Yorkshire on Friday, August 11.
The Durham-born off-spinner said: "I could hardly have a better one to start with but as captain I might keep myself in the ring and not get too close to the boundary!"
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Hazell is determined to help the Thunder move off the bottom of the table and reach finals day on September 1 at Hove.
She said: "Last year the competition was fresh and new but hopefully this year won't be as daunting for the girls who haven't played international cricket.
"We'll have a better idea of how pitches will play and how the crowds will be."
They can also call on Australia all-rounder Jess Jonassen and New Zealand's Amy Satterthwaite as well as Lancashire-born seamer Kate Cross.
Hazell, 29, is hoping that the huge feel-good factor around women's cricket after the World Cup win can continue.
She said: "The final was crazy and it was a bit of a whirlwind afterwards but we've had a chance to take in what we achieved for cricket.
"Hopefully this can spiral into the Super League and get people who perhaps haven't watched cricket before to have a look and have a go.
"I'm very proud of all the 11 who played in the final and proud of just being involved. Everybody's been on this journey - there have been a few bumps and a few tears but we're all really proud of ourselves."
"Women's cricket is still quite new and the crowd were really into it. Hopefully we can put together a few more games like that in the future."
Hazell revealed the nerve-shredding experience of being a non-playing reserve in the final as England's bowlers searched for the breakthroughs to halt India's run chase.
She smiled: "I was dreadful on that bench - when Jenny Gunn dropped that catch at the end, I was over the fence to begin with, then back behind the fence.
"The crowd was amazing. I've never played in front of a crowd like that before - the noise was incredible.
"Women's cricket is still quite new and the crowd were really into it. Hopefully we can put together a few more games like that in the future.
"That was a springboard to lift women's cricket up and going into the Super League it's about trying to take that feeling on - people are still buzzing."
Tickets for the Kia Super League can be purchased at www.ecb.co.uk/kiasuperleague
