Leading New Zealand women's all-rounder Haidee Tiffen arrived home this week from her first stint of cricket overseas determined to head back to England next summer to complete some unfinished business.

Tiffen - 2001 season in England Photo CricInfo

The CLEAR White Fern, who was a member of last year's CricInfo World Cup winning side, played for Brighton and Hove in the Sussex competition and for Sussex in the national league.

The club side made the final of the ECB Women's Cup, a knock-out competition involving 200 teams, and was beaten by nine runs by Wakefield.

"We bowled them out [Wakefield] for 130, although we didn't field well, but we felt we could get that target. However, we were nine runs short," Tiffen said.

Her own batting was marred by a leg before wicket decision after she had hit the ball. Tiffen joked that it took her about 10 minutes to get off the field she was so disappointed.

It has not dulled her enthusiasm and by helping the Sussex team retain its place in the National Premier League she is keen to see the side win next year. The second-placing in the southern section of the league at least avoided the bogey of the promoted team, which Brighton and Hove was, from going back down the next season.

Tiffen also appeared for the Sussex county side in the county competition which involved five games in five days, all of which were won by Sussex.

The side competed in the second division of that competition and Tiffen found the standard below that of the New Zealand State Insurance Cup.

"But we were in the second division and the first division may be stronger," she said.

However, Tiffen believes former Australian women's coach John Harmer, who is now the England coach, is already having an effect with the decision to have England's top 48 players play a series of games among themselves next year to ensure the top players are getting tougher competition.

One of the problems on the English scene is that the cricket is split between Northern and Southern divisions and it is very rare for the top players to be pitted against each other.

"When they get that [the Harmer competition] in place the good cricket they play will be reflected in the improvement of the England team," she said.

An aspect of the club play that Tiffen found different to anything she had experienced before was the vast difference in the ages of players.

"There are several ex-England players still playing regularly over there, including one 60-year-old [Enid Bakewell].

"I found that bizarre. We never see that here.

"But it was great to play against some of those legends," she said.

Tiffen recalled she was even offered some advice by Bakewell while batting.

"She told me I shouldn't be playing the sweep shot to her bowling or I would end up getting a top edge. I didn't play that shot again. It was really good. They are really lovely people who love their cricket," she said.

Tiffen said the whole experience had made her more confident with her bowling. She said she had quickened up a little and had been delighted with the way she bowled throughout the season.

"It was a great whole of life experience. Life was different to here. People are more relaxed here.

"But I feel prepared and am looking forward to my season.

"I have been really looking forward to touring India and still hope the tour will go ahead. But I suppose safety is the most important thing and we will just have to wait and see," she said.

The New Zealand women have a camp this weekend at Lincoln University and the team for the tour will be announced on October 2.

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