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Figure caption,England beat New Zealand to win T20 series - highlights
ByFfion WynneBBC Sport journalist- Published1 hour ago
Head coach Charlotte Edwards says that England's batters are giving her "a few headaches" for T20 World Cup selection after their 2-1 series win over New Zealand.
Edwards has named a squad of 15 for the tournament, which starts on 12 June, but they have been without captain Nat Sciver-Brunt and regular opener Danni Wyatt-Hodge so far this summer.
Sciver-Brunt is recovering from a calf injury, while Wyatt-Hodge missed both the ODI and T20 series against the White Ferns to join wife Georgie for the birth of their first child, but the latter is available for the three T20s against India starting at Chelmsford on Thursday.
"I absolutely don't know my best XI at the moment," Edwards told BBC Sport after England thrashed New Zealand by seven wickets in the final T20 at Hove.
"But what players are doing is putting their hand up all the time. There's certainly different combinations that we want to look at.
"I'm probably more sure of the bowling, but I guess the batters are giving us a few headaches, which you want - you want people wanting to put their hands up."
Though New Zealand are defending world champions in the T20 format, they did not provide England with a particularly high-quality series, which makes the three encounters against India absolutely crucial for Edwards' side to test themselves under pressure before the real challenge of a home World Cup begins.
England's bowling is in fine order - seamer Lauren Bell and spinner Linsey Smith make a formidable powerplay duo which allows spin duo Sophie Ecclestone and Charlie Dean to bowl in tandem during the middle overs, but the batting line-up and the all-rounders are less secure.
Wyatt-Hodge, with all her experience and early season form for Surrey before the international summer began, is likely to slot straight back in at the top of the order but there are question marks over who should join her.
Alice Capsey was promoted to open in Wyatt-Hodge's absence against New Zealand and the 21-year-old immediately made her mark with an unbeaten 74 in the series opener at Derby before scores of 18 and three in the subsequent two.
Wyatt-Hodge's regular partner, Sophia Dunkley, made scores of eight, 26 and 22 as a frustrating trend of making good starts but failing to kick on has continued.
Sciver-Brunt and Heather Knight have been mainstays for England's middle order for years and it feels very unlikely that will be tinkered with before such an important tournament on home soil, even if Knight's strike-rate of 100 has at times allowed pressure to build in this series.
Still, the balance of the side largely depends on Sciver-Brunt's ability to bowl with the management of her injury.
All-rounders Dani Gibson and Freya Kemp are valuable assets for Edwards. Both are power-hitters who can bowl in all phases, they are electric in the field and Kemp provides a precious left-hand option with bat and ball - but with the two stalwarts returning, it feels like one of those two or Capsey is most vulnerable.
But Edwards insisted that she is not concerned about Sciver-Brunt - who has only played two games of competitive cricket since February - and praised England's depth for giving her a selection dilemma.
"If there's any person in world cricket you don't mind having the lack of cricket she's had, it's Nat," Edwards said.
"We played without two of them and Lauren Bell, who was rested [for the third game in Hove]. That's been the most pleasing thing - we've got this depth in our squad now and we've just beaten the world champions, so we are really, really chuffed."
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- Published16 August 2025
