England Women have received a huge boost before their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final after captain Nat Sciver-Brunt was declared fit to return for the important match against South Africa at The Oval, London, on Thursday, July 2, 2026.
Sciver-Brunt missed England’s last three group-stage matches after suffering a calf injury during the run chase against Ireland in Southampton. She retired hurt after scoring 48 because of tightness in her left calf, which turned out to be a muscle strain in the same area where she had picked up an injury earlier this year.
The all-rounder has now completed an intense recovery programme and confirmed that she is ready to return for England’s biggest match of the tournament.
Before the semi-final, Sciver-Brunt spoke about the hard work she and the medical staff put in to help her recover. “I’m being put through my recovery paces, and I’ve worked really hard to get myself to this position,” Sciver-Brunt said.
“We literally threw everything at it. We used various different methods to get the recovery right…eating the right things, taking the right supplements, sitting in machines, oxygen tanks. I suppose just everything that we can do to get to this point. We’ve tested it enough to be comfortable, and I suppose what will happen out on the pitch will happen.”
England also confirmed that Sciver-Brunt used MBST (Molecular Biophysical Stimulation) treatment during her recovery. She completed seven one-hour sessions as part of her rehabilitation before being cleared to play. Explaining the process, she said, “It involved sitting for an hour and not moving with my leg in a horseshoe-shaped thing. We literally threw everything at it.
Sciver-Brunt was in excellent form before getting injured. She scored 57 against India in a warm-up match before making an unbeaten 46 against Sri Lanka and 48 against Ireland in England’s opening two World Cup matches.
During her absence, vice-captain Charlie Dean led England brilliantly. England remained unbeaten in Group 2, beating Scotland, West Indies and defending champions New Zealand to finish at the top of the table and reach the semi-finals.
Sciver-Brunt was full of praise for the team after watching from the sidelines. “I think it’s been really enjoyable watching. We’ve had some brilliant batting partnerships,” she said.
“We’ve obviously had sometimes where we’ve had some tricky periods and had to rebuild a little bit as a batting group. There are times where we would have wanted to be a bit more clinical in the chase. But yeah, I think as a group we’ve played some brilliant cricket. We’ve shown some great composure in moments like that.”
Her return creates a selection challenge for England after several players impressed in her absence. Sophia Dunkley, who replaced Sciver-Brunt, scored 120 runs in three innings. However, the England captain believes her injury also helped other players gain valuable experience.
“It’s funny how it works itself out. Lots of people had a great chance to have experience out in the middle, certainly with the bat. Missing out is never nice but seeing people grow in confidence and getting the chance to show their skills with a little bit more time at the crease has been really special. I’m really excited to be able to join them again.”
England will now face South Africa in the second semi-final on Thursday, July 2, with a place in the Women’s T20 World Cup final at Lord’s on Sunday, July 5 at stake. England will also be looking for revenge after South Africa knocked them out in the semi-finals of both the 2023 Women’s T20 World Cup and the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup. With their captain back and fully fit, England will hope to continue their unbeaten run and book a place in the final.
Loves all things female cricket