Lauren Bell on Pace, Patience and Performing on the Biggest Stage

Lauren Bell is, without doubt, one of England's most exciting fast bowlers. A cricketer with seemingly effortless poise and power, at just 25, she's learnt to handle the expectation that comes with being an elite athlete, and the difficulties of pursuing sport as a career as a female.

Born and raised in Berkshire, Bell has something of a reputation in the industry - for being grounded, xxx, and down-to-earth. She's also a keen advocate for balancing more intense training blocks with all-important R&R - she regularly posts as much on her Instagram platform, where she has a staggering 2.2 million followers.

This month, she's in India for the Women's World Cup, which will run for the next few weeks and see the best teams in the world compete for the title. England, alongside Australia and India, are amongst the favourites, and the tournament marks a major career milestone for Bell - her first 50-over World Cup and a chance to step onto the sport’s biggest stage.

Below, Bell discusses her journey so far with Marie Claire UK; the challenges of consistency at international level, the hours of thankless training, and the mental resilience that quietly underpins her success. Keep scrolling.

England bowler Lauren Bell chats confidence as the World Cup kicks off

Can you describe your life in three words?

Fun. Honour. Exciting.

What does a typical day look like for you when you're in the middle of a busy season?

It really varies depending on whether it’s a game day, training or travel. We play a lot of cricket - once you get into April, you’re not really stopping until September.

I’ll always try and have a good breakfast, and then on an average day, we'll be training – either at home with Hampshire, my county, or at a different venue if I’m with England. That would normally be three or four hours, with some bowling and some gym work. As bowlers, we work a lot on our strength.

We may have some meetings about the upcoming opposition and our plans, or there may be time to play some golf. [My team and I] love going out for coffee if we’re together, and a few of the girls and I love to get our nails done if we can get the chance – colour-matching the kit is always the aim.

Was there a specific moment when you realised cricket could become your career, rather than just something you loved doing?

I don’t know that there was a specific moment; it just kind of became the path. I played football a lot as a kid and was in the Reading academy.

Then, when the KSL (Kia Super League) was kicking off in 2016, I became part of Southern Vipers under Lottie, and I loved it. A lot of investment in the sport suddenly made opportunities like this all the more possible – it was like, ‘Ah cool, I can actually make a career of this!’.

I went on an England A tour in 2022 and ended up with the senior team for the Ashes Test match and the World Cup. It just became the thing for me, which is an absolute dream.

What has been the biggest lesson elite sport has taught you about confidence and resilience?

Just try and enjoy it. It’s not always easy to do when there’s a lot of outside noise and pressure, but we’re so lucky to do what we do. It’s such a privilege to represent England and travel around the world with some of my best friends, doing something I love. Remembering that helps a lot.

How do you look after your mental wellbeing when you're dealing with the pressures of competition, travel and public scrutiny?

It’s good to talk, to each other, to friends, to family. We have a lot of professionals that we can chat to, but sometimes, it helps to get away from cricket and to speak to people outside that bubble.

We also have to try and remember that a lot of outside views aren’t actually what defines you – the people who know you the most are the people who matter.

If someone on Twitter wants to say something negative about you, then they’re welcome to their opinion, but it matters a lot less than what your coaches and teammates think.

Women's cricket has changed dramatically in recent years. What excites you most about the future of the game?

It’s changing every day! We’ll see at this World Cup; it’s already sold more tickets than they sold for the 2020 competition in Australia, and it’s just amazing that so many people want to come and watch.

It's obviously so exciting for us as players, but what I think is the most exciting part is that it’s never actually been easier to get into cricket if you’re a young girl.

When I got in, I didn’t really have an England Women’s team on the TV to look up to – so for me and most of my current teammates we got here without much of a system. But now, there are so many clubs offering cricket to girls, and there’s so much cricket for girls to watch and enjoy, that it’s never been easier for girls to find the game and hopefully fall in love.

What are the habits or routines you rely on to feel your best, both on and off the pitch?

Lots of boring stuff like getting enough sleep, drinking lots of water and moving my body. I think also finding time to do stuff you enjoy is a big thing, and making sure you’re still seeing your friends and you’ve got a life away from cricket.

On the pitch, I have two bracelets that say ‘Focus’ and ‘Reset’, and using those words as a guide to remind me to keep my energies on the next ball is a pretty useful thing for me.

What's something people often get wrong about professional athletes and the reality of your day-to-day life?

People forget sometimes how hard we work away from matchday, and that we all care very much about what we’re doing. Sometimes that’s taken for granted. It means the world to us to get to do what we do, and we work very hard to be able to do it.

Outside of cricket, what are you passionate about, and how do you switch off from the sport?

A few of the girls and I enjoy playing golf when we get the chance. It’s nice to be together on the course and focus on something that isn’t cricket.

We also love finding a good coffee spot together when we can, and nails is a thing for some of us. I’ve also got a relatively new house, so I’m always thinking about things I can get to decorate and furnish the place – and actually I’ve just bought a camera to document the World Cup, so that’s a fun new hobby!

If you could give your younger self one piece of advice at the start of your cricket journey, what would it be?

Just keep enjoying it! There’s literally nothing more important.

Sometimes you have to work quite hard in order to be able to keep smiling and keep enjoying it – there are lots of lows!. Remembering to keep enjoying it is good advice.