The year 2025 has been one of transition and testing for England Women. With four wins from nine matches, including a bruising 0-3 Ashes defeat in January, the side has undergone significant change. Heather Knight stepped aside after years of leadership, Nat Sciver-Brunt took charge as captain, and Charlotte Edwards replaced Jon Lewis as head coach. Together, they now prepare for the World Cup — Sciver-Brunt’s first major assignment at the helm.
Reflecting on her early experiences as captain, Sciver-Brunt pointed to the progress made in shaping the team’s identity under Edwards’ guidance, “I’ve had a taste of the job with the West Indies and India series this summer and it was really enjoyable to work alongside Lottie and to begin to shape how we want our team to play. There are a number of important things for us as we set about building our team for this competition… That’s our job, that’s our focus.”
England’s form this summer showed both dominance and vulnerability. Against West Indies in May–June, they delivered a commanding 3-0 sweep. Victories came by 108 and 143 runs, followed by a simple nine-wicket DLS chase of 106. In July against India, the contest was tighter. England went down 1-2, losing the first ODI by four wickets, winning the second with an eight-wicket DLS chase, and narrowly losing the decider by 13 runs.
England’s ambitions are rooted in their pedigree. Since finishing runners-up in the 2022 World Cup in New Zealand, they have played 39 ODIs, winning 25. They remain one of the most decorated sides in women’s cricket, with four World Cup titles (1973, 1993, 2009, 2017). The 2017 triumph at Lord’s remains iconic — edging India by just nine runs in a thrilling final.
Recalling these milestones, Sciver-Brunt noted, “We made the final last time out in New Zealand, in a tournament that was still affected by COVID-19, and obviously back in 2017 we lifted the trophy, so our recent record gives us something to be excited about.”
Despite mixed results, England’s core players have delivered. Amy Jones leads the batting charts with 411 runs, narrowly ahead of Sciver-Brunt’s 396. Ecclestone continues as the attack leader with 12 wickets in six matches, with Linsey Smith close behind on 10 wickets from four games.
Sciver-Brunt emphasized the strength within the squad, “There’s a huge amount of talent in this group and we’ve got a coach who knows exactly what it takes to win a World Cup. The job now is to put that all together on the pitch, to win the big moments and to step up when the pressure’s on to take us as far as we can possibly go.”
As the World Cup approaches, England are fine-tuning with two warm-up matches — a 153-run win over India on 25 September and a clash with Australia on 27 September. With a fresh leadership structure, experienced stars in form, and a group of emerging talents, England enters the global stage determined to reclaim the trophy they last held in 2017.
(Quotes sourced from the ICC)
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