Kent-born Tammy Beaumont grew up playing cricket with her brother and father for Sandwich, and made her debut for her county in early 2007, batting at No. 5. The same year, she was named in the England Development Squad for the European Championship, though she struggled, making 7 and 8 against Netherlands and Ireland respectively.

However, a series of good performances for Kent, including her maiden century in August 2009 and a successful period as wicketkeeper, saw her called up to the England squad for the West Indies tour to take the gloves in place of the absent Sarah Taylor. She was only 18 when she made her ODI and T20 debuts, and for several years combined international duty with a degree in Chemistry and Sports Science at Loughborough University.

She has since relinquished the gloves to concentrate on her batting, but while a regular feature of the England side, she struggled for several years to make an impact at international level. Nonetheless her prolific run-scoring for Kent - she now opens, and is regularly top run-scorer in the Women's County Championship - kept her in contention for an England place. Having been selected for the MCC Women's Young Cricketers programme in 2012, she was one of the 18 players granted a professional contract in May 2014. She is also a Chance to Shine coaching ambassador.

Two successful tours as captain of the England Women's Academy side, to Sri Lanka in February 2014 and to the UAE in April 2015, saw her selected by new coach Mark Robinson to open the batting in the 2016 World Twenty20. She blossomed across the tournament, hitting a total of 138 runs and picking up the Player of the Match award in England's group stage victory against West Indies.

A phenomenal summer against Pakistan followed, as she struck 484 runs across the ODI and T20 series, including her debut international century, cemented her England place for the foreseeable future.
Raf Nicholson