Browne feasts on new start with Meteors

Having lost two years of her career to a condition related to the intake of gluten, the New Zealand all-rounder has brought her talents to Canberra for a short stint with the Meteors in the Women's National Cricket League.

Browne prematurely retired from the game at age 27, after starring at the 2010 women's World Cup and leading New Zealand to the final. She lacked motivation and struggled for energy.

It wasn't until a year later that Browne was diagnosed as having coeliac disease, an auto-immune disorder triggered by gluten that prevents the small intestine from absorbing vital nutrients.

Browne, who returned for last year's World Twenty20, said her absence had given her a greater perspective on life.

''As soon as I was diagnosed, my whole life turned around,'' she said. ''I had so much motivation for life again, it was fantastic. It's two years to the day, right now, since it got diagnosed. My whole life has taken another direction.''

Browne will make her debut for the Meteors in this weekend's series with Tasmania at Chisholm Oval, starting with Friday's Twenty20 match.

She believes her condition started after a blow to the head while batting in 2006. ''It was an interesting time, but because I was so down something had to change,'' she said.

''It was a shame at the time, but it's a blessing in disguise, as everything is.

''I got to reflect on my 10-year career and [ask] if I was to do this again, what would I do differently and what messages would I send to the younger athletes.''

One change Browne has had to make is packing her own gluten-free food for overseas tours and carrying a bag of food whenever she's at the cricket.

''I took 16 kilograms of food over for a month [to the West Indies] and I came back with maybe a couple,'' she said.

''When I tour the sub-Asian [countries] my diet consists of rice, vegies and grilled chicken.

''I appreciate every moment because it was all taken away from me.

''It gave me a much bigger perspective on my life and has transformed my cricket because my world isn't just cricket any more.''

Meanwhile, the ACT Comets had to settle with first-innings points in their Futures League match with Tasmania after rain washed out Thursday's final day.

Tasmania finished at 0-69 in its second innings, needing another 190 runs to win.