Tammy Beaumont is aiming to regain her position on the England T20 team during their upcoming tour in New Zealand.
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Amy Beaumont is expected to make a comeback to England’s Twenty20 squad after being absent since January 2022. Meanwhile, 23-year-old bowler Lauren Filer may make her debut as England starts their tour of New Zealand on Tuesday, with the first of five T20 matches taking place in Dunedin.
Beaumont was left out of the Commonwealth Games roster for 2022, as England captain, Heather Knight, expressed a desire for players with more boldness and aggression in the 20-over format. However, Beaumont’s recent performance proves otherwise, as in August she scored 118 runs off of 61 balls for Welsh Fire – the highest individual score ever achieved in the Hundred.
Filer, meanwhile, was handpicked by the head coach, Jon Lewis, last summer to play in the Ashes Test at Trent Bridge and went on to feature in all three of England’s one-day internationals against Sri Lanka in September. She is yet to win a T20 cap but with Kate Cross and Issy Wong left out of the squad, and a recurrence of an old back injury for Freya Kemp, Lewis may select her in his starting XI.
The coach assigned Beaumont the role of opening the batting with Sophia Dunkley in England’s exhibition game against New Zealand A on Thursday. She impressively scored a half-century in just 32 balls. With Danni Wyatt currently participating in the Women’s Premier League in India, Beaumont has a new chance to prove herself and potentially reclaim her previous position as the top batter.
It was anticipated that England would have a dominant performance against New Zealand in these matches, as they did two years ago when they had a 3-0 victory against the home team. However, the Women’s Premier League adds a complication.
Unfortunately, Wyatt, Sophie Ecclestone, Nat Sciver-Brunt, and Alice Capsey will not be able to participate in the first three T20 matches. They have chosen to stick with their franchise teams for the entire tournament. Interestingly, Capsey was the only one out of the four to play in the final on Sunday, while Wyatt has not had the opportunity to compete at all for UP Warriorz during the competition.
Sarah Glenn said England’s preparations had been going smoothly, even in the absence of their four best players. “We’ve been getting rid of a few cobwebs,” the leg-spinner said. “We’re gelling really well together at the moment. We’ve got a couple of fresh faces coming in who bring great energy.”
The newcomers on the team are Linsey Smith, a left-handed spinner who last played for England in 2019, and 26-year-old batter Hollie Armitage, who has yet to make her international debut. They have been playing for Central Districts in New Zealand’s Women’s Super Smash tournament during the off-season and will be well adapted to the local conditions if needed by Lewis.
New Zealand will be uplifted by the comeback of all-rounder Brooke Halliday, who was sidelined from their recent series versus Pakistan due to a foot injury. She excelled during England’s previous tour of New Zealand in 2021, scoring consecutive half-centuries in her debut. However, the home team is also impacted by the Women’s Premier League (WPL) clash: captain Sophie Devine and leg-spinning all-rounder Amelia Kerr will both be absent for the first match. Suzie Bates will fill in for Devine.
Along with the complete tour, the English A team is also engaged in a series of three T20 and three 50-over games against New Zealand A, which will serve as an important assessment of the team’s depth for both countries. England A looks promising so far, having won the first two T20s, with standout performances from 20-year-old Grace Scrivens who scored a fast half-century. It is highly anticipated that Scrivens will be joining the senior team within the next year.
Source: theguardian.com
