The selectors’ choice of a squad to face the Australians once more was bound to be fascinating.
Never before have they had so many professional players to choose from, and they’ve played far more games this season under the extended scheduling.
Whether they will come any closer to regaining the Ashes is another matter altogether.
Teams
The England Test Squad (15):
Heather Knight (captain), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Alice Davidson-Richards, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, *Lauren Filer, *Danielle Gibson, Amy Jones (w-k), Emma Lamb, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Issy Wong, Danielle Wyatt
*uncapped
England A Squad (13)
Lauren Winfield-Hill (captain), Maia Bouchier, *Alice Davidson-Richards, Freya Davies, Charlie Dean (vice-captain), Sarah Glenn, Kirstie Gordon, Eva Gray, Bess Heath (w-k), Eve Jones, Page Scholfield, Grace Scrivens, *Danielle Wyatt
*included in the test squad as well
Points of Interest
The selectors have not opted for separate teams for the different formats (5-day test, ODIs and T20s, despite the huge difference in demands made upon all players.
This policy throws more weight on the rightness of the decisions. For example, few of the test squad have managed to maintain the highest standards with bat or ball through a busy season. Compare the inclusion of Alice Capsey and Issy Wong: the first a home banker; the second a distant hope for future success.
Is it obvious who has to be included in the biggest challenge at Trent Bridge (see details below), and who simply must appear in the swing-and-miss knock-about that is the T20? For the former, experience must count for a lot. With the younger generation you have to wonder whether they have ever held a red ball in their hands, let alone several during the course of a 5-day marathon.
Congratulations to the two new names, Lauren Filer and Danielle Gibson. They represent the selectors’ latest hopes of finding long-term replacements for the much missed Katherine Brunt and Anya Shrubsole. Quick(ish) bowlers line up around the block, not least left-handers, but few yet show the mastery of control of line, length and variation to be expected.
You can query so many selections here, depending on your viewpoint and whom you have seen.
Right at the top Tammy Beaumont has been struggling to rediscover her form. She has made good runs for Blaze in their uninterrupted run of wins (until the final), while Lauren Winfield-Hill has to make do with the captaincy of the also-rans, a decision that not only Yorkshire fans might question.
On the bowling front, it’s all too easy to imagine England pounding out the overs with a ball that grows ever softer. None of the quicks can be sure of taking top Aussie wickets early in a test innings – but that’s me being pessimistic again.
At least Heather Knight has a large number of bowling options available, a good ten without including the skipper herself.
Alpha or Beta?
When we come to peruse the A team choices, we see the conundrums the selectors were set. Apart from the skipper herself, you could start with Maia Bouchier, Charlie Dean, Sarah Glenn, Danni Wyatt and even Grace Scrivens, as unfortunates not to get the nod for better things.
At the other end of the scale, Eva Gray stands out. She has moved from Surrey and South-East Stars to Sunrisers, where she has played ten matches. She has reached double figures with the bat twice (top score 34*) and taken seven wickets (two 2-fers) – hardly the stuff of dreams.
Bess Heath wins the all-important place as wicket-keeper for the A team. Strangely, England seem less blessed with talented keepers than in the past. Heath has scored good runs in the Charlotte Edwards Cup, which may well have been the deciding issue. But only two catches have come her way playing for Diamonds in ten games.
Whether we could follow crickether.com’s opinion and regret the missed opportunity to give Scrivens the captaincy, is less certain, and I am Kent through and through. Let her enjoy savouring Aussie competition first.
Scheduling
Allowing all four sides (England and Australia 1st and A sides) to meet in ‘uneven’ competition is excellent. The one problem is that two games take place over the same days on different grounds, so selectors cannot see all the evidence with their own eyes.
Fixtures
22-26 June, Test, Trent Bridge
1 July, 1st T20, Edgbaston (day/night)
5 July 2nd T20, The Oval (day/night)
8 July, 3rd T20, Lord’s (day/night)
12 July 1st ODI, Bristol (day/night)
16 July 2nd ODI, Southampton
18th July 3rd ODI, Taunton (day/night)
In addition:
(15-17 June) England will play Australia A at the Incora Ground, Derby
(15-17 June) England A will play Australia at Uptonsteel County Ground, Leicester
– then contest their own IT20 and ODI series against their Australian counterparts
