'We can really challenge them this year' - Lauren Bell issues rallying cry ahead of Women's Ashes

England's young pacer Lauren Bell, who made her international debut last year, is eagerly awaiting the Women's Ashes opener at Trent Bridge. Bell is looking forward to representing the English team in their first-ever five-day affair against arch-rival Australia in the Nottingham Test, commencing on June 22.

Lauren Bell made her debut for England across all formats last year but has fond memories of her only Test appearance so far for the English side. Despite being in the nascent stages of her international career, the 22-year-old towering pacer is awestruck by the longest format of the game. 

“When I made my debut last year it was memorable for so many reasons but the thing that really stood out was just how special Test match cricket felt. I don’t think I had ever fully appreciated it before, but I could see just how special it was to be part of and felt so lucky to be part of it," Bell told a news agency ahead of the Ashes opener.

We can’t be worried about getting something wrong: Bell

It is a historic occasion for the women's team as they will be participating in their first-ever five-day Test against Australia, with over 14,500 tickets sold for the momentous clash. While Bell is excited about the prospect of featuring in the historic clash, the youngster is weary of the threat possessed by the Australians. She issued a rallying cry for her teammates, encouraging them to play fearless cricket against the Aussies.

"It’s exciting to be playing at Trent Bridge this year, a big Test ground with lots of history, and we need to appreciate women’s cricket heading in the right direction and show how far we’ve come. We know they have been ahead of us for the last few years, but we’ve worked really hard and there’s real confidence that we can really challenge them this year. We have to not be scared about failing. We can’t be worried about getting something wrong, thinking about what might happen if we do," she added.