Born on 19th January 1957 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, former England Test and ODI player Jane Powell.
Jane played in the same junior leagues as twin sister Jill and for Junior England her twin was the skipper. Jill’s career for England had started and finished in 1979, a full five years before Jane was called up for national honours.
In June 1984 Jane was selected for England in Jan Southgate’s team in an ODI against New Zealand. She scored just 16 runs but England won by 46. She played in two more matches in the three game series before making her Test match debut in July against the same opposition. Jane scored 37 in her debut knock.
Jane toured Australia in 1984/5 for the jubilee Ashes tour but only played in the fifth Test. In 1986 for the home series in England, Jane rewarded the selectors and new skipper Carole Hodges with a not out century at Blackpool, scoring 115 not out. It would be her highest Test score. In six Test matches she scored 281 runs at 35.12.
In 1988/9 Jane is rewarded with the captaincy of England’s ODI team and her first duty in that respect is no less than a World Cup. She skippered England all the way to the Final but fell at the last hurdle, losing to Australia. However she also skippered England to the final of the Women’s European Championship in 1990 and took home the trophy. In sixteen matches as skipper she won thirteen.
In 24 ODIs Jane scored 463 runs at 35.12 with a top score of 98 not out. Post retirement Jane has, among other roles, coached the England team.
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