England bowler Kate Cross ready for Ashes despite illness during preparation

Cross could even be responsible for sending down the first ball of the series.

Kate Cross has played six Tests for England (Bradley Collyer/PA) (PA Wire)

Kate Cross says she is ready for the start of the Ashes this week despite her preparation being complicated by the parasitic illness Giardia over the last few months.

Cross was laid low by the tropical disease during a pre-season tour to India in March and went through nine unsuccessful rounds of antibiotics that left her fearful of missing out against Australia.

However, the latest round of treatment has flushed the infection out of her system and, while Cross has spent time on the sidelines, she bowled 18 overs in a warm-up against an Australia A side last week.

Cross would ordinarily prefer to have more overs banked but she is confident she will be firing for the one-off Test, starting on Thursday, that acts as a curtain-raiser for the multi-format Ashes series.

She said: “I’m the kind of bowler that likes rhythm and long spells.

“Not just the last game that we played last week against the As, but the last three weeks of prep have actually been brilliant.

“I think I’ve probably learned a lot about myself in that I’ve got a lot of cricket under my belt and you don’t always have to tick all the boxes to feel good.

“As much as my preparation hasn’t been the plan A that I would have wanted, it’s still been great prep for myself.”

With Anya Shrubsole and Katherine Sciver-Brunt now retired, Cross is likely to open the bowling if, as expected, she plays her seventh Test at Trent Bridge – which will be played over five days.

Cross could even be responsible for sending down the first ball of the series, a prospect that leaves her with mixed emotions.

She added: “That’s actually scared me a little bit, to be honest, because there were times where I didn’t know if I’d be well enough to be thinking about playing Ashes cricket.

It would be a really proud moment if I got to take the new ball, especially if my parents and family are there to watch it

Kate Cross

“We always prioritised my health before we prioritised thinking about that first ball.

“But when you’re a kid in the back garden playing Ashes cricket with your brother and your sister, you always think about those moments. Being able to do them on a big stage is really exciting.

“It would be a really proud moment if I got to take the new ball, especially if my parents and family are there to watch it as well.”