April 3 this year is already significant date for sport in this town, as Barnsley FC will play at Wembley in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy final, but it is also the day of the Women's World Twenty20 final in which Katherine Brunt hopes to inspire England to victory.

The 30-year-old fast bowler says she is in as good condition as ever going into the competition in India next week – less than a month after a back spasm forced her to return home early from the tour of South Africa. Brunt, from Dodworth, has struggled with major back problems for more than a decade, requiring surgery after two prolapsed discs.

She admits she was concerned when she felt the spasm while bowling in South Africa, a tour she started just two weeks after competing in the Women's Big Bash League Twenty20 in Australia.

"I got back from South Africa about two and a half weeks before the rest of the girls then I've just been resting and strengthening the areas that needed strengthening," said Brunt.

"We probably underestimated how demanding the Big Bash had been, in terms of the games and the travelling.  My back needed resting after that and we have learned a lot from this experience. I was a bit disappointed and worried when I had the back spasm but I knew it was a side injury and not the old back problem. It was basically my body telling me to stop and have a rest.  I had an MRI scan and my back is better than it has been in years. I am fully fit now and I feel really good."

England are due to start their competition on Thursday in Bangalore against Bangladesh. They then move on to Dharamshala for games against India and the West Indies on March 22 and 24 before finishing against Pakistan on March 27. The top two teams from the group will advance to the semi-finals at the end of the month.