Bermudian youngster Brianna Ray has had the chance to reflect on a whirlwind couple of weeks after she got the chance to be part of the England squad in last month’s women’s Ashes Test at Trent Bridge.

Ray, 19, was also thankful she was able to perform in front of her parents, Gary and Maria, who travelled to England to witness their daughter playing her part in a historic match, which was only the second women’s Test to be played over five days.

“I had been given the opportunity to do the twelfth man duties for the England women in the Test match for the Ashes series through the Blaze,’’ Ray said.

“Three players from the regional set-up were selected based on fielding ability and I was one of them. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to go on and field but I was still in the changing room, warming up and involved in all the conversations surrounding the Test match, which was an amazing experience.

“All the England girls were so lovely and welcoming which made the whole experience even better. Being at Trent Bridge was amazing as it’s known as one of the most prestigious grounds in England.

“Whilst being there I was able to speak to the coaches and players about the game and get some insight from them about cricket. The five days taught me so much about both cricket and managing yourself. It’s definitely inspired me to want to play multi-day cricket and excited about where the domestic cricket path will go over the next few years.”

Prior to carrying drinks for the England players in the five-day contest, Ray was part of the Loughborough University team that won the women’s British Universities and Colleges Sport title.

“The day before the Ashes had started, I had been involved in the BUCS final with Loughborough University and won. During the university season we were undefeated and after a year of trying to win BUCS back, it was satisfying to finish off the year on such a high.”

Ray, a right arm pace bowler and middle-order batter has been in England for six years, with her journey commencing on a scholarship to Sedbergh School in Cumbria as a 14-year-old.

Now studying at Loughborough University and also a member of the Blaze Academy, she is grateful for the doors that have been opened for her. Last season, she was at Lancashire Thunder before making the switch to the Blaze, formerly Lightning, through her Loughborough links.

“Over the six years I have been based in the UK, there has been a massive improvement of both my mindset and cricket skills,’’ she said.

“Starting at Sedbergh School, I wasn’t very familiar with the sport, but I have enjoyed the challenging journey since then. I moved to the Blaze regional set-up from Thunder to make the commute to training and games easier and less stressful.

“The move is one of my best decisions concerning my cricketing career as I have been given so many opportunities, such as net bowling at the England Women's team and the substitute fielding opportunity.

“The main squad at the Blaze were runners-up in the T20 competition and are undefeated in the 50-overs competition. This is quite inspiring and has raised my standards as my goal is to move up into this squad.”