Trisha Ghosal, Taunton
England signed off their T20 World Cup preparations in style, clinching the three-match series 2-1 with a commanding six-wicket victory over India in Taunton. Chasing 181, England were powered by a magnificent 137-run stand between Alice Capsey and former captain Heather Knight, who combined aggression with composure to complete the chase with nine balls to spare.
The result capped a strong comeback after defeat in the opening game and provided further evidence of England’s growing confidence under Charlotte Edwards. Speaking after the series win, Edwards reflected on her side’s performances, the impact of Capsey and Knight, and the positives England will take into the World Cup.
“We Had to Chase a Big Total”
Asked whether the victory was the perfect preparation ahead of the World Cup, Edwards did not hesitate.
“As games go, I don’t think it could have got any more perfect for us, in the fact that we had to chase a big total, we were playing against one of the best teams in the world and we did it quite convincingly as well.
“I don’t think I could be happier in terms of ticking off everything we wanted to tick off before we start in a week’s or ten days’ time.”
Edwards later revealed that the series was part of a much longer process.
“I’ve got everything we’ve wanted to get out of the last three or four months,” she said. “This has been a four-month plan in place. People have doubted that plan at times and this is what we’ve been working towards.”
“There Were Certainly No Doubts About Heather Knight”
One of the biggest talking points coming into the game was Knight’s form and strike rate. Edwards admitted she had been paying attention to the criticism.
“I think it’s been quite interesting listening to some of the press this week. The more people were writing her off, the more I knew she was going to put in a performance like this.”
Knight’s unbeaten 70 guided England home, and Edwards pointed to her resilience.
“Her character and her resilience are two of her biggest attributes. We saw that in abundance tonight. There were certainly no doubts in our dressing room about Heather Knight.”
Capsey’s Development Paying Dividends
Edwards was equally delighted with Capsey’s match-winning 82, describing it as the reward for months of hard work.
“We spoke with her at the start of the winter about some areas that we wanted her to work on and she’s worked so, so hard,” said Edwards. “There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing her win a game for England the way she’s done it.”
The England coach also reiterated her belief that modern T20 batters should be flexible.
“I’m a big believer that your top six should be able to bat anywhere in the order.”
Nat Sciver-Brunt’s Return a Boost
If England’s victory was not encouraging enough, Edwards also provided a positive update on Nat Sciver-Brunt.
“That makes tonight even more exciting, doesn’t it? That we’ve got Nat Sciver-Brunt adding to this line-up. She’s training this week and doing her running. She’ll be playing, hopefully, in the first warm-up game next week.”
With competition for places intensifying and key players returning, Edwards believes England are entering the World Cup from a position of strength.
“I think we’ve got 15 people within this squad who could play for England and we’d be equally as strong,” she said. “I’m not sure we’ve been in that position going into a World Cup before.”
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