Kimmince's second trip to England will be with purpose

Delissa Kimmince has had a rollercoaster career in cricket. She made her debut for Australia at the age of 18 but just a year later she got disillusioned by cricket and turned down an Australian contract.



When Kimmince spoke exclusively to Women's CricZone in February, she said, “I think when I was 18 when I started playing the (International) sport and always had a different relationship with it. Over a period of time, I started to hate the sport and took a break from it"



She chose not just to walk away from the sport but also move to the UK for an alternate career. She opted to work in The Princess Louise, a pub in Holborn.



Recalling her times in London to cricket.com.au, Kimmince said, "It was pretty loose, to say the least,"



"There were 10 Aussies and one English guy all living in the pub and 4am was our bedtime, it was the most bizarre lifestyle.



"I never really drank or partied before that, when I went there I found myself doing it for 10 months, and then I came back home and I didn’t really do it again.



"I worked 40 hours a week in the pub … I loved living in London, nothing felt real."



She was convinced to play for Warwickshire just for the matches. She was taking the three-hour train journey to matches each week, but without the pressure of training.



It was that experience – and the friendships she forged along the way – that paved the way for her eventual return to high-level cricket in Australia.



"I had one of the best seasons I’ll ever have, I think purely because I just rocked up and played,” she said.



"I wasn’t training because of where I was living and it proved to me that when there’s no expectation you do play with a lot more freedom.



"That’s what I took away from it, if you go out there to enjoy yourself and have fun you are more likely to perform than if you’re putting all that expectation and pressure on yourself."



"I was over there for 10 months and then I ran out of money so I had to come back," she laughed.



The Queenslander returned to the Women's National Cricket League in 2012-13 season and in 2014, was recalled to the Australian team.



Her career was hit another blow when she got injured because of the ligament tear in her back.



"I couldn't move," she explained. "(Head coach) Matthew Mott was giving me until the Thursday to prove I was fit, but I rang him on the Monday and said I couldn't even see past the plane flight.



"I couldn't sit down for more than 20 minutes, I had to lie in the fetal position. It was the most painful thing I've ever had.”



Her injury mean she lost the heard earned Australia contract but she fought her way back into the T20 side. She hopes to play in all three formats in this year's Ashes series.



"It’s the ultimate goal for me in the short term," she said.



"If that time comes it will be a little bit emotional, I guess, after what I went through last time.



"It’d be a moment in my career I’d treasure for quite some time."



"I thought my time in the green and gold was done, and even if you’d said a couple of years ago I’d be back I wouldn’t have believed it.



"But it’s nice to be in the position I’m in now, so I’m just trying to enjoy my cricket and not put too much pressure on myself."