Given access to follow the England women’s cricket team at close quarters, David Tossell was at freezing training mornings in the dead of winter, in the dressing room and at team meetings in the heat of battle against Australia. 2015 was a landmark year – the women’s first as professional players, and with every ball of their Ashes series live on television and radio. The Girls of Summer: OUT NEXT WEEK, 15^TH APRIL. EXCLUSIVE SAMPLE CHAPTER BELOW.

Speaking about the release of the book, England women’s captain, Charlotte Edwards, said:

“I am sure that The Girls of Summer will be a fascinating read.  As a team we welcomed David into the group from the very beginning – he saw, felt and lived every moment with us – from the highs in Taunton and Chelmsford to the lows in Canterbury and heartbreak in Hove.  I will always ultimately reflect on the 2015 Women’s Ashes series with an overriding feeling of disappointment, but there is so much more depth to the story of last summer than the final score line, and we are looking forward to sharing that story through this book.”

The storylines of a dramatic summer are told from close quarters, while the England girls explain their varied, and often difficult, pathways to the top of their sport. The Girls of Summer includes:

• All the key on-field moments – and the players’ reaction to them – right up to the dramatic climax of the series, as seen from inside the dressing room
• Charlotte Edwards describing how she was once almost too scared to play the sport with which she has become synonymous, and how she maintains her passion for cricket after two decades as an international
• Kate Cross, daughter of an FA Cup winner, discussing how she fought to overcome the devastating effects of depression to become one of the game’s leading young players
• Katherine Brunt relating her battles against injury and low teenage self-esteem to become the heartbeat of the team and one of the world’s fastest bowlers
• Insights into what Edwards says to her team on the eve of a Test, and how coach Paul Shaw set about keeping the girls calm and focused as results began to go against them
• Discussion of women’s cricket’s development towards a professional era – and what is needed to continue the growth of English cricket, both at international and domestic level
• The story behind Shaw’s departure as head coach at the conclusion of the Ashes

Click here for more information, or to read a sample from The Girls of Summer.