ENGLAND all-rounder Alice Capsey will celebrate her 21st birthday on Monday back in her happy place of The Hundred after a year of personal learnings.

It was during the inaugural edition of the 100-ball competition in 2021 when Capsey was catapulted onto free-to-air TV screens as a teenager barely out of school that starred for eventual title-winners Oval Invincibles.

Capsey largely enjoyed an upward trajectory for the next three years before she entered choppy waters in the second half of 2024 when a group-stage T20 World Cup exit was followed by her being dropped by England.

Even though Capsey earned an instant recall, a chastening Ashes experience followed and the once new-kid-on-the-block has now played 71 times for her country, but is without an international half-century since July 2024.

Nevertheless, Capsey has relished life under new England head coach Charlotte Edwards, started to score domestic runs more consistently and is keen to add another Hundred title to the Oval trophy cabinet ahead of tomorrow’s fixture there against Manchester Originals.

“Yeah, I definitely feel a better cricketer. When you have such disappointments, it’s a really good time to reflect and review and put in a lot of work behind the scenes,” Capsey told the PA news agency.

“Lots of highs, lots of lows, which I guess is part and parcel of being a professional cricketer. Lots of personal learnings and also whichever team I’ve played in, lots of learnings as a group as well.

“It’s an exciting time because for me individually I know how much I’ve got to learn.”

The immediate focus for Capsey is commitments for Oval Invincibles after a fine summer of county cricket for Surrey with 579 runs and 11 wickets across 14 matches.

“A lot of cricketers you speak to, everyone pencils in The Hundred in their calendar pretty early on,” Capsey explained.

“It’s definitely something I enjoy playing in and I definitely have a lot to thank for The Hundred with creating those opportunities for me and it’s always a place I like to come back to, especially being at the Oval and having that as our home ground.

“There are worst places to play! It’s a great time of the year and how much we enjoy it shows on the pitch and hopefully creates that energy for the fans.”