India await in second assignment of women’s summer, but new head coach likes what she’s seen so far
Valkerie Baynes08-Jun-2025England Women can expect a tougher test of their new set-up when India arrive later this month, after West Indies’ tour ended in 3-0 sweeps of both T20I and ODI series.Such results don’t appear to be optimal preparation for the world’s No.2 ODI side to take on third-ranked rivals and World Cup hosts India. However, they provided a confidence boost after the nadir of six months ago, and allowed the hosts to experiment, gleaning some valuable insights in the process.It turns out the solution to their top-order conundrum in the 50-over format had been staring them in the face all along. England’s depth of talent has so often been boasted about as a welcome product of the professionalisation of the domestic women’s game, but by bringing that to the fore rather than leaving it in the background amid a reluctance to tinker, they have strengthened their batting and bowling options.”We are under no illusions that we are going to have tougher times ahead,” Charlotte Edwards, England’s new head coach, said on Saturday. “But equally, what we are seeing already is that appetite for people to want to keep getting better too – they can’t stand still because there’s someone probably in county cricket now scoring runs who’s winning games of cricket.”Reuniting Amy Jones and Tammy Beaumont as openers after five years was hugely successful, with both scoring back-to-back centuries in twin partnerships worth more than 200 each across the first two games. So too was the introduction of Linsey Smith and Em Arlott to the ODI bowling ranks.So much so that, in the third and final ODI in Taunton on Saturday, Jones dropped back to the middle order (where she wasn’t required) and Beaumont was rested along with Smith, coincidentally just as it was announced that fellow left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone would take a wellbeing break with a view to feeling ready to take on India.Charlotte Edwards wants to be able to pick from a pool of 25 players for every England match•Getty ImagesArlott, who made her international debut during the T20I leg of the tour and was rested for the second ODI, returned with devastating effect on Saturday, taking two wickets for one run in the space of six balls as West Indies lurched to 3 for 4 inside four overs.Meanwhile, Sarah Glenn made her first appearance of the series in Taunton and took 3 for 21 after a five-hour rain delay to help contain West Indies to 106 for 8 from 21 overs. She was subsequently named player of the match as England cruised to a nine-wicket victory with Nat Sciver-Brunt scoring an unbeaten 57 opening alongside Sophia Dunkley.Emma Lamb, who like Arlott and Smith had been called up after dominating the start of the domestic 50-over competition, scored a quick-fire 55 in the second ODI before making way for Alice Capsey to move up to No. 3 and score 20 not out.Of course England had the luxury to try just about anything against an already under-strength West Indies who travelled without injured big hitters Chinelle Henry and Deandra Dottin and were further depleted when star allrounder and captain Hayley Matthews succumbed to a shoulder problem. Matthews had been player of the T20I series, despite her side failing to win a match but was ruled out of the second and third ODIs after aggravating the injury while fielding in the first in Derby.Related
Amy Jones: 'Setting the tone is a cool responsibility'
Jones, Beaumont make back-to-back centuries as England seal 2-0 lead
Hayley Matthews out of third ODI against England with shoulder injury
Nat Sciver-Brunt 57* leads England to 3-0 sweep in rain-wrecked final ODI
Ecclestone to take time away from cricket to prioritise wellbeing
But the fact that the third ODI amounted to batting practice for England’s regular middle-order, who had up to that point been under-used, and that a re-jigged bowling line-up got their job done illustrated that their desired competition for places has arrived – something not present for the failed T20 World Cup and Ashes campaigns.”It is going to be difficult to pick teams moving forward,” Edwards added, “but that’s the place we wanted to be and we don’t want to be picking from 15 or 16 players. We want to be picking from a pool of 25 players, which I genuinely think we are now. We’ve probably got there quicker than I thought we would.”A significant factor has been Edwards’ insistence on England-contracted players playing domestic cricket in the lead-up to the West Indies series.While some will rest ahead of India’s arrival, others were set to leave the ODI squad and rejoin their domestic teams for the Vitality Blast as early as Sunday.”There’s a group of fast bowlers now really vying for a few spots,” Edwards added. “I don’t think we’ve had that, probably in the last five years, in terms of about five or six bowlers who could all open the bowling for England. And a really good group of batters who are really pushing each other to get better and better, which I think is a really healthy place to be in as a team. It makes it harder for us now to select teams, but equally more exciting for us moving forward.”England play five T20Is against India starting at Trent Bridge on June 28, followed by three ODIs. And while Edwards admitted that, with this year’s World Cup in mind, she would have preferred to have played more ODIs, England will host the T20 World Cup in a year’s time.”That’s why we played around with the team a little bit today,” she said. “But equally, we understand that the T20 format is a format that, for next summer is really important as well, so we’ll manage that.Linsey Smith took her chances after a long period out of the selectors’ thoughts•ECB via Getty Images”We absolutely know that, in a couple of weeks’ time at Trent Bridge, that’s going to be tough. They’re one of the best teams in the world, they’ve got some of the best players, so we’re going to have to be right on it when we get to the 28th of June. But we’ve taken a lot of confidence from this and that’s the most important thing. We can only play what’s in front of us and we’ll look to do that again when we play against India.”West Indies failed to qualify for the 50-over World Cup immediately before heading to England. That they couldn’t put up more of a fight in the T20Is, despite knocking England out of that World Cup last October, was unsurprising given their over-reliance on Matthews.There were some small highlights for West Indies, who will return home to host South Africa in the first of three ODIs starting on Wednesday, then three T20Is.At just 20 years of age, Realeanna Grimmond offered cause for optimism with her half-century on ODI debut in the second game in Leicester, as did 21-year-old Jannillea Glasgow with a 24-ball 44. But their development, along with that of teenage quick Jahzara Claxton is a long-term project.Shane Deitz, West Indies head coach, expected to have Henry back to face South Africa and said Matthews’ recovery would be managed through that series, but Dottin remained another month away from full fitness.”We had a chance to bring some players in and that’s what we’re looking for,” Deitz said. “Our season, so to speak, begins in February next year – 2026 is a massive year for us. We’ve got 15 ODIs that obviously go for the next World Cup qualification, a Test match [against Australia] and a World Cup.”What we do over the next eight months off the playing field is going to be the key thing for our performance next year. We’ve got a lot of things we can work on off the field, the team culture and then a lot of fitness and skill work. We’ve got a great opportunity now to play a few games against South Africa and then have a really good off-field programme for seven or eight months, and then come back in 2026 and take on the rest of the world.”