Brunt enjoys Indian summer

Seamer Katherine Brunt was awarded the player of the NatWest Series against India

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Watching Katherine Brunt giving South Africa’s batters both barrels at Lord’s, it is hard to imagine the same person being reduced to tears a month later after winning the player of the NatWest Women's Series with India.

The 23-year-old charged in at the home of cricket that day, hurtling the ball down at decent pace, reserving a few choice words for some of her victims and finishing with 5-25 – the best ever figures by an England bowler at the famous ground.

Brunt, who has battled back from a career-threatening back injury, continued that form against India and took six wickets to help England to a convincing 4-0 win. The final game at Hove on Tuesday was eventually abandoned due to rain, and the wet outfield mirrored the moist look in Brunt’s eyes when she was awarded the player of the series.

“It just hit me at that moment,” Brunt told ecb.co.uk. “All the hard times I've had with injuries and being left out of tours. To come back when I didn't think I would. All the months of hard work had paid off.”

Beating India is one thing, but returning from a serious injury, particularly for a fast bowler, is a totally different battle.

Brunt spent 15 months on the sidelines after sustaining a prolapsed disc two years, an injury so severe she did not know whether she would bowl quickly again.

A five-for at Lord’s and sustained excellence against India will have answered any lingering doubts she might have had.

“I’ve got my confidence back now,” she said. “In the last three games I have started to bend my back and put the effort in.

Brunt celebrates taking another wicket en route to 5-25 at Lord's

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“Coming back from injury, I found the summer pretty gruelling. I think I have picked up every niggle in my lower body but my back has been fine. It's annoying as it prevents me from firing on all cylinders. I'm getting fitter and stronger though.”

The summer, for both Brunt and England, has seen unparalleled success. Check out the record - played 16, won 13, three abandoned. They are unbeatable – just ask West Indies, South Africa and India.

The team’s anthem, Take That’s ‘Never Forget’, sung after each win, has been churned out so often you could be forgiven for thinking the England team are auditioning for The X Factor.

“Beating the West Indies was a brilliant start,” she said. “The way we played set us up for the rest of the summer.

“The highlight of the South Africa series was winning at Lord’s. We all had a lot of people come to the match and I think everyone who came was impressed with how we played. It was the perfect game.

“If you are going to have the perfect game then where better to do it than Lord's?”

Perfect just about sums up the 225-run win. After England scored 310 for three, the hosts ran through South Africa and dismissed them for just 85, Brunt taking half the wickets to fall as well as instigating a run-out with a laser-guided throw from the boundary.

“It could not have been better, although I was disappointed not to get another run-out,” she said. “I'm a perfectionist.

“But it was a great day. It was great to see Sarah (Taylor) score 129 - she's only 19 - and Shaggy (Caroline Atkins), who had been struggling for form, suddenly hit top form and scored 145. We just followed their lead.

“I did not expect us to beat India 4-0. They are second in the world but did not get close to us. We have improved more than any other team in the last two years.”