England have named uncapped Western Storm duo Danielle Gibson and Lauren Filer in a 15-strong squad for the Women’s Ashes Test against Australia, starting next week.
Allrounder Gibson was Storm’s joint-highest run-scorer and leading wicket-taker in this season’s Charlotte Edwards Cup and was a travelling reserve for the Women’s T20 World Cup in February. Filer, who has previously represented England Academy, has been a mainstay of Storm’s past two campaigns. She bolsters England’s seam-bowling options which were also without the retired Katherine Sciver-Brunt during the drawn Test against South Africa at Taunton a year ago.
With both in line to earn maiden international caps, England named an otherwise predictable squad including the XI which featured against South Africa, where Issy Wong and Lauren Bell made their international debuts as Sciver-Brunt’s successors.
Emma Lamb and Tammy Beaumont, who opened in that match and have shown some fine touch in domestic cricket so far this season, were named in the squad while Danni Wyatt, the leading run-scorer in this year’s Charlotte Edwards Cup, and Alice Capsey, who had a breakout year in 2022, have a chance to make their Test debuts after earning a call-ups to the squad.
Kate Cross, England’s most-experienced red-ball bowler, was also selected despite being laid low by a tropical illness during the opening weeks of the season.
The Test squad will play Australia A in a three-day warm-up fixture in Derby from this Thursday ahead of the five-day Test at Trent Bridge from June 22. It will be England Women’s first Test over five days on home soil and their first visit to Trent Bridge since 2000. Following the Test, which is worth four points in the multi-format Ashes series, the sides will play three ODIs and three T20Is worth two points each.
Jon Lewis, England Women’s head coach, described the Test squad as “nicely balanced” amid a fast-growing talent pool around the country.
“Dani [Gibson] is one of the form cricketers in the country, she is improving both with bat and ball and if selected in the team, offers us a dynamic cricketer who can change the momentum of the game,” Lewis said. “Lauren is a genuine wicket-taking threat with good pace and swing. If selected in the playing XI, she offers us a point of difference in our bowling attack that could impact a Test match at any point in the game.”
Lauren Winfield-Hill will captain the England A side to face the senior Australia Women’s team in a three-day warm-up in Leicester this week. She enjoyed some strong domestic form during 2022 and after dropping out of England reckoning midway through the 50-over World Cup earlier that year. She returned to the England fold during the winter tour of the Caribbean and has again performed well in the regional competitions so far in 2023 having lost her central England contract for the current season.
Alice Davidson-Richards and Wyatt will play for England A in the warm-up match while also being part of the Test squad. Grace Scrivens, the England Under-19 captain who led her country to the age-group T20 World Cup final in South Africa earlier this year, was also named in the A side. An England A squad is yet to be announced for T20 and 50-over series against their Australian counterparts.
England Women’s Test Squad: Heather Knight (capt), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Alice Davidson-Richards, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Danielle Gibson, Amy Jones, Emma Lamb, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Issy Wong, Danni Wyatt
England Women’s A squad for warm-up vs Australia: Lauren Winfield-Hill (capt), Maia Bouchier, Alice Davidson-Richards, Freya Davies, Charlie Dean, Sarah Glenn, Kirstie Gordon, Eva Gray, Bess Heath, Eve Jones, Paige Scholfield, Grace Scrivens, Danni Wyatt
