Danni Wyatt described her Headingley performance as a mixture between skill and luck as the England opener dazzled the crowd with an innings of 87 against Pakistan to lead the hosts to a 3-0 series victory.

Wyatt had made underwhelming contributions to England’s series before the closing match making scores of one and six in the first and second T20I, but in front of 10,000 fans in Leeds she lit up the stadium and led England to a 34-run victory.

The 35-year-old was also dropped three times during her 48-ball knock but remained blissfully unaware of this fact and focussed on embodying head coach Jon Lewis’ message of intent and aggression.

“I really wanted a score today, but also wasn’t getting too stressed about it because I’ve had ups and downs most of my career,” Wyatt reflected in the post-match conference.

“I think it’s the way I play and Lewy (Jon Lewis) wants us to go out there and take the game on from ball one which is what I do when I’m at my best.

“My running between the wickets was really good today and got me going, especially early on with the drop and runs, which is really key and crucial in this format as well.

“The pitch was actually quite slow early on so I came down the track and hit the ball to generate more pace because it was a quick outfield.

“I had no idea I was dropped three times, I guess you’ve got to take your chances. Maybe I’ll go to the casino tonight.

“It’s about skill and luck, that’s the way it goes. When I got my first T20 hundred in Australia, I got dropped on 10 and it was an absolute dolly.”

As England look to build towards the T20 World Cup five months away in Bangladesh, live on Sky Sports, their white-ball series against Pakistan and New Zealand this summer will be crucial preparation.

England were knocked out of the World Cup last year in the semi-finals by hosts South Africa but Wyatt believes that this team is one of the best.

“We’re up there, it’s been a big team effort and someone else has contributed every match, which is a sign of a good team,” Wyatt said.

“I think our fielding throughout this series has been one of the best I’ve ever seen with this team. The end goal is the Bangladesh T20 World Cup and that’s what we’re building towards.

“There’s a lot of cricket between now and then. We’ve got the skills, it’s just going to be about if we can perform in the different conditions when we get out there.”

Wyatt’s brilliant cameo was also timely given the wider context of the women’s game. A ‘three-tier model’ structure was announced earlier this year, but Yorkshire lost out to Durham in their bid and will have to wait until 2027 to be included.

It was also the first time that Wyatt had played at Headingley in an England shirt and she ensured that she made the most of it.

“I love playing at Headingley, I hope we can play more games here, I was at deep square and the crowd were so good and they were really getting behind us,” Wyatt said.

“It’s so nice to play all over the country. It gives a chance to people up here to see us play, which is what it’s all about.”

England take on Pakistan in a three-match ODI series starting on Thursday May 23 at the County Ground in Derby live on Sky Sports (first ball 1pm).

Women’s Metro Bank One-Day International Series vs Pakistan fixtures – live on Sky Sports

May 23: 1st Women’s One-Day International – The Incora County Ground, Derby, 1pm
May 26: 2nd Women’s One-Day International – The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton, 11am
May 29: 3rd Women’s One-Day International – The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford, 1pm