England A has secured the series win against Australia A in the Twenty20 (T20) series with consecutive victories in the opening matches, with one match still to be played. The final T20 encounter between the two teams is scheduled for the 25th of June, 2023, at Haslegrave Ground, Loughborough, at 7:00 PM Indian Standard Time (IST).
Despite Australia’s improved performance in the second game, England continued their dominant display in the series opener. Heather Graham’s quickfire 43 off 27 balls and Charlie Knott’s 30 off 33 balls helped Australia post a competitive total of 165. However, Bryony Smith’s impressive innings of 66 off 35 balls set England on course for victory, and with valuable contributions from Maia Bouchier, Dani Gibson, and Bess Heath, England secured a comfortable 5-wicket win in the 18th over.
Squads:
England A – Lauren Winfield-Hill (C), Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Alice Davidson-Richards, Freya Davies, Charlie Dean, Mahika Gaur, Sarah Glenn, Bess Heath, Freya Kemp, Paige Scholfield, Bryony Smith, Linsey Smith, Issy Wong, Dani Gibson
Australia A – Maitlan Brown, Lauren Cheatle, Maddy Darke, Heather Graham, Nicole Faltum, Tess Flintoff, Charli Knott, Kate Peterson, Courtney Sippel, Tayla Vlaeminck, Grace Harris, Courtney Webb, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Tahlia Wilson
Players to watch out:
Bryony Smith
The 25-year-old spin all-rounder, in Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is), in 7 innings has scored 57 runs, while has also struck a couple of wickets in 5 outings with the ball. Bryony on back of a brilliant run at the Charlotte Edwards Cup, smacked a 35-ball 66 to guide her to victory in the 2nd T20.
Dani Gibson
The 22-year-old pace all-rounder has followed up her brilliant domestic season run with figures of 20* with the bat and 1/24 with the ball. The form Gibson is in, she would fancy an international debut now, and while has missed out in the Test XI, remains in contention for ODIs and T20Is.
Maitlan Brown
The 26-year-old pace all-rounder has long been around the Australian setup and features consistently in the A team and at the Bash. Maitlan looked at her best just yet having only registered a couple of starts (10* and 11), while with the ball, was on the receiving end finishing on figures of 1/41 (4).
Tess Flintoff
The 20-year-old pace all-rounder hasn’t featured in the T20s yet but is likely to be in the mix for the final game. Tess in 25 Bash games has scored 243 runs, including the highest of 51, while also has struck 26 scalps, so is certainly one to watch out for.
Pitch:
The center wicket at the Haslegrave Ground, Loughborough provides a balanced playing surface, one that caters to both batters and bowlers. While it favours batters and promises a high-scoring match, the pacers can also take advantage of the conditions.
Weather:
With scattered thunderstorms on the radar, there is a high probability of rain interruptions during the 2nd half of the game. The temperature is forecasted to hover around 26°C, with light winds and humidity of 82%.
Fantasy playing XI:
Bess Heath, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Courtney Webb, Grace Harris, Heather Graham, Charlie Dean, Maitlan Brown, Freya Davies, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Bryony Smith
Match details:
Date – June 25, 2023
Time – 7:00 PM IST
Venue – Haslegrave Ground, Loughborough
Broadcast – A live stream of the game will be accessible on the England and Wales Cricket Board website (ecb.co.uk).