England netballer Eleanor Cardwell: ‘People tell me my face has quite a lot of emotion’

If you were awake at 4am in Manchester on 15 April 2018, you may have heard Eleanor Cardwell screaming. The netball player, like many of her kind, braved the early hours to witness a watershed moment in the sport’s history. England’s Roses, in their first Commonwealth Games final but up against the vaunted Australia, came from behind in the dying minutes to snatch victory from the hosts with a penalty shot after the whistle.

“It was absolute chaos,” says the 27-year-old with a grin. Having been a part of the Roses squad since 2016 the shooter was delighted: “I just remember feeling extremely proud of all the girls because I’d been through all the training with them and knowing what they’d gone through as a team and how much it meant for them. I remember texting some of the girls who were also at home: ‘Can you believe it?’”

Four years later, Cardwell will go from watching at home to centre stage on court to make her Commonwealth Games debut as one of the 12 England players – and one of seven based in the UK – chosen to defend their historic title. While the make-up of the final team has yet to be finalised, the shooter’s name has been a dead cert on anyone’s list.

Under the head coach, Jess Thirlby, Cardwell has clawed her way to the front of the pack. With her pinpoint shooting accuracy and commanding presence she has proven her worth against some of England’s toughest rivals.

But perhaps Cardwell’s best quality is that she is never overawed by the occasion. Where others can go missing at crucial moments, she is always there hunting the gamechanging moment. “People tell me my face has quite a lot of emotion. They’ll say I’m angry, but I’m actually never really angry. I’m just trying,” she says.

“If I’ve missed a shot.