England has displayed confidence and clarity by announcing their playing XI on the eve of the five-day test match, the first game in the highly anticipated Women’s Ashes series. While veteran white ball player Danni Wyatt is about to make her test debut, Western Storm seamer and youngster Lauren Filer has earned her England debut.
Lauren Filer will be representing England for the first time in any format of the game. The opportunity to make your national team debut in a test match, which is so uncommon in women’s cricket, would undoubtedly be a dream come true. Filer’s outstanding domestic season has earned her this opportunity.
Heather Knight, the captain, had nothing but praise for the 21-year-old.
“She’s a real impact bowler, I guess she’s a bit of an unknown, but she bowls wicket-taking deliveries and for me she’s one of the quickest, if not the quickest bowler in the country,” said England captain Heather Knight.
Danni Wyatt, the seasoned white ball player too will make her test debut. Skipper showed immense faith in the 32-year-old saying, “She’s one of the best attackers of spin in the world game for me.” “She makes it very tricky and scores in very unusual areas. So that’s exactly how we want her to play, how she does in white-ball cricket.”
Kate Cross has made it to the playing XI bouncing back from a debilitating illness, a parasitic infection of the intestines that she had picked up in March. She will also be leading the inexperienced yet extremely talented English pace attack.
“We talk a lot about moving the game forward, especially in Test cricket. It’s a challenge for us because we don’t play a lot of it and we do a lot of learning when we’re out there and it’s a bit of a big stage to be doing that. We feel like we expose ourselves in a way because you have to be vulnerable in those moments to learn about the game, but we love doing it.
We love the challenge of it, it’s new challenges on our bodies, and going five days will be a big challenge but not one that we want to shy away from.” She discussed the nature of the game, the potential new hurdles they would encounter, and the importance of balancing their approach over the course of five days to get some positive result.
Breaking 🚨
England has announced their playing XI for the Ashes Test starting tomorrow!
The game will mark the debut of Lauren Filer and Danni Wyatt.
What do you think about the final XI 🤔#CricketTwitter #Ashes23 #Ashes2023 #AshesTest pic.twitter.com/eTwpA8qNTo
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) June 21, 2023
On the other hand, other notable selections include Tammy Beaumont and Emma Lamb as opening batters, with skipper Heather Knight at no.3. Meanwhile, veteran batting all-rounders Nat Sciver-Brunt, Sophia Dunkley, and wicketkeeper-batter Amy Jones made it to the playing eleven of England as well. Among bowlers, England went with just one spinner in the form of experienced Sophie Ecclestone.
Heather Knight too talked about the game. Heather Knight’s aim to entertain and inspire in the Ashes series reflects the evolution of England’s approach to the game. With an aggressive mindset, the team embraces the challenge of playing an entertaining brand of cricket that captivates spectators.
Heather further added, “I think when we do play red-ball cricket as women’s cricketers, we feel like we’re fighting for the format a little bit sometimes. And we’ve talked about how actually, it’s really important that we do play cricket that people want to watch because we want future generations to be able to play Test cricket.”
The captain highlights the importance of bringing the country along with them, capitalizing on the current momentum of women’s sport in the country. The team’s focus on entertainment and inspiration aligns with their desire to promote the game and ensure its growth for future generations. The Ashes series represents a significant opportunity to captivate audiences and leave a lasting legacy.
England’s playing XI for the five-day test match:
Tammy Beaumont, Emma Lamb, Heather Knight (C), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Sophia Dunkley, Danielle Wyatt, Amy Jones (WK), Sophie Ecclestone, Kate Cross, Lauren Filer, Lauren Bell