This season Lisa Keightley has turned over a new leaf. After a series of very conservative selections in her first year in office, she has proved far more revolutionary in 2022.
For the inaugural T20 cricket competition in Birmingham (starting 29 July) she has pulled a few surprises (but no rabbits!) out of the hat. And welcome ones at that.
In come Alice Capsey, Freya Kemp and Bryony Smith, plus the less astonishing double-pick of Lauren Bell and Issy Wong. Of that first trio Kemp’s name is the most striking. Still only 17, she bowls left-arm quickish and hits the ball as hard as she can. She figured in the England Academy side against South Africa at Arundel last month without taking a wicket. But when you have Charlotte Edwards singing your praises through a loudhailer you tend to get noticed. Her left-handedness is a big plus in a team of quicks who could otherwise appear samey.
Capsey, another 17-year-old, gets a call that no-one who saw her perform last summer will question. Like many before her, she found runs harder to get in the follow-up season, but has recently returned to form.
Bryony Smith is a different case, a far more experienced cricket who is captaining South-East Stars in Tash Farrant’s enforced absence. She likes to open and hit the ball immensely hard. Like Capsey, she bowls off-spin to add more options for the captain.
Revolving Doors
New additions automatically mean unexpected subtractions. Most striking is the absence of Tammy Beaumont’s name. She has been an almost permanent fixture since 2016, but the analysts will have told Keightley that she doesn’t perform as strongly in T20 as elsewhere. A less obvious omission is Charlie Dean. She was the most recent candidate to fill the vital off-spin role for England, and has done thoroughly well. But in her place comes Sarah Glenn, after a period when she was discarded from England colours and might have found life hard to take. So congratulations to her on her reappearance. Her leg-spin adds more variety to the attack, and she gives the ball a whack.
Amy Jones hasn’t been at the top of her game recently, either with bat of gloves, but she is so gifted a performer that she has a chance to shine on her home stage. Who takes Beaumont’s place as reserve keeper is open to question.
And who takes on her opening role? The odds must be on Smith, who likes to be in on the action from the start. With Danni Wyatt at the other end, we could see fireworks.
Beyond the CG Keightley must be looking for a squad to square up to the Australians. England failed miserably last time they tried, and Meg Lanning’s side won’t be taking prisoners when they come to Edgbaston. The question is whether there are still too many of the old hands around with bad memories of past Aussie defeats. It will be up to the new(ish) faces to show they are not daunted by the prospect.
Thanks to the configuration of the two pools, the two sides don’t meet until the knock-out stages – anyone doubting that they will?
The Squad of 15:
Heather Knight (Western Storm, captain), Maia Bouchier (Southern Vipers), Katherine Brunt (Northern Diamonds), Alice Capsey (South East Stars), Kate Cross (Thunder), Freya Davies (South East Stars), Sophia Dunkley (South East Stars), Sophie Ecclestone (Thunder), Sarah Glenn (Central Sparks), Amy Jones (Central Sparks), Freya Kemp (Southern Vipers), Nat Sciver (Northern Diamonds, vice captain), Bryony Smith (South East Stars), Issy Wong (Central Sparks), Danni Wyatt (Southern Vipers)
