Sophia Dunkley has been brought back into England's T20I squad, less than a week after being reinstated to the ODI team for the upcoming series against New Zealand. Meanwhile, Freya Kemp is poised to make her comeback as an allrounder, continuing her recovery from a back injury.
England's squad for the five-match T20 series against New Zealand remains largely the same as the one that secured a 3-0 victory over Pakistan last month.
Eighteen-year-old fast bowler Mahika Gaur, who has been absent from England's line-up this year while finishing her A-Levels, will miss the T20Is due to a side strain, despite having completed her exams by the time the series starts.
Kemp, a 19-year-old left-arm seamer, had to return home early from England's tour of the Caribbean in December 2022 due to a back stress fracture. She had made her international debut against South Africa earlier that year and caught attention with her performance against India, becoming the youngest England player to score a T20I half-century. Although she bowled during England's tour of India in December 2023, she suffered a recurrence of her back issues and has since participated as a batter only for England A in New Zealand and during the Pakistan series, as well as in regional cricket.
England’s head coach Jon Lewis expressed optimism about including Gaur in squad activities as part of her ongoing development. Gaur made her ODI debut for England against Sri Lanka in September, following her T20I debut earlier in Sri Lanka's tour after playing 19 T20 games for the UAE.
“This five-match series against a strong New Zealand team is crucial for us and serves as vital preparation for the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh,” Lewis remarked. “We’re delighted to have Freya Kemp back as an all-rounder and expect to see her bowl during this series as she recovers from injury.”
“Sophia Dunkley returns to the squad after showing excellent form at the regional level, meriting her selection. Unfortunately, Mahika Gaur is unavailable due to a minor side strain, but we aim to keep her involved with the squad to prepare for her return.”
Dunkley was recently named in England's ODI squad to face the White Ferns after being dropped during England's tour of New Zealand earlier this year. She was added to the 50-over squad for the final two matches against Pakistan last month but didn’t feature in either game, serving as the 12th player for the rain-affected match in Taunton.
Her recall comes on the back of strong performances for South East Stars in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, where she leads the run-scoring charts with 293 runs at an average of 97.66 and a strike rate of 83.00, including a century and a fifty. Dunkley has also accumulated 200 runs in the Charlotte Edwards Cup T20 competition, averaging 28.57 with a strike rate of 120.48, alongside two half-centuries.
England Women Squad for New Zealand T20 Series
- Heather Knight (captain)
- Lauren Bell
- Maia Bouchier
- Alice Capsey
- Charlie Dean
- Sophia Dunkley
- Sophie Ecclestone
- Lauren Filer
- Danielle Gibson
- Sarah Glenn
- Bess Heath
- Amy Jones
- Freya Kemp
- Nat Sciver-Brunt
- Linsey Smith
- Danielle Wyatt