It’s pretty hard to overlook the breakout star of the tournament, 21-year-old all-rounder Alice Capsey. She’s taking the field for England at her first ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup. Batting at seven, Capsey has already made an impression with her batting by making match-defining runs for her side. She’s got a lot of T20 cricket under her belt, especially in India, and she brings a different dynamic and versatility to the squad.
Capsey is currently playing for the Delhi Capitals in the Women’s Premier League. She has developed her economic development skills in this very competitive field. Her road to this World Cup hasn’t been easy. As recently as her last two matches – against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka – she faced those same struggles. In a tense encounter against Bangladesh, Capsey made a crucial contribution with 20 runs, helping England navigate a low chase successfully. She was under the cosh early on against Sri Lanka. Inoka Ranaweera’s quick turn as a fielder took her by surprise and she was run out without scoring.
As England prepare to take on their next group opponents, Capsey is aware of the spin-friendly conditions to come. From these conditions arise new and unique challenges for the crew. She encourages practitioners to adjust to these new realities, yet stay high on who they are and what they can do.
“We were all part of that experience and we don’t ever want to be part of something like that again. So yeah, it’s a completely different feel – we’re high on confidence and we want to put our stamp on this tournament.” – Alice Capsey
Capsey too had on the emotional fallout from fresh leadership in whole the England squad. Under Captain Nat Sciver-Brunt and coach Charlotte Edwards, there’s a new energy to the squad, and that energy is inspiring. This truly energizes the whole team atmosphere.
“The change in leadership with Nat and Lottie coming in has been really refreshing, in the sense that we’re talking about the game in a different way,” – Alice Capsey
Sciver-Brunt and Edwards, meanwhile, offer a handful of deeply helpful strategic tips. Capsey sees tremendous value in just learning from what they go through. Her club coaches’ clear communication and holistic approach to the game has deeply impacted her development as a player.
“I’m expanding my game and developing as a batter as we go, and just watching how Nat and Heather Knight have gone about it has been hugely important for me, being able to pick their brains when I need to.” – Alice Capsey
Capsey’s extensive knowledge and experience of T20 cricket has certainly prepared her for this World Cup. She’s well aware that it gets trickier from here. She is particularly cautious about facing teams like Pakistan, despite their current struggles in the tournament.
“I know they haven’t won a game so far but they are definitely not a team we are taking lightly.” – Alice Capsey
As England continues deep into the tournament, Capsey’s contributions as an efficient all-rounder will be key. She provides a fourth spin that increases the team’s tactical flexibility. This gives them the agility to effectively respond to all sorts of unique match scenarios.
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