Tammy Beaumont recently stepped into the position of stand-in captain for the England women’s cricket team. After seeing off a strong T20 challenge from visiting India, it doesn’t get any easier for the Southern Stars. England now finds itself down 2-0 in the five-match series. Beaumont’s return to the squad has been a selection from coach Charlotte Edwards, after Beaumont fell out of favor under former coach Jon Lewis.
Beaumont captains the side in the absence of regular leader Nat Sciver-Brunt, who misses out with a groin injury. A scan will determine Sciver-Brunt’s fitness for the remainder of the series. England face the tall task of needing a perfect performance to have a chance at reversing their poor luck. Head coach Jon Lewis has indicated that Sophia Dunkley will stay vice-captain and get another chance to impress in this Friday’s first Test.
In the second T20 at Bristol, Beaumont demonstrated her capabilities on the field, top-scoring with 54 runs despite her team’s defeat. It was an important turning point for Beaumont. His goal is to reenergize the squad following their abysmal Game 1 set and continued struggles in the opening portion of the series.
The overall batting line-up has been a black hole of ineptitude. Specialist three, four and five Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Sophia Dunkley and Alice Capsey have combined to make just 19 runs across two games. This lack of contribution has put immense pressure on the team as they look to regroup and face a dominant Indian side.
“It’s not the ideal circumstances, being 2-0 down, and with our captain and best batter out of the team,” – Tammy Beaumont
When asked how the industry should respond to the ongoing situation, Beaumont urged industry leaders to keep their cool. She stated, “The worst thing we could do right now is panic. We certainly believe we can come back and win, and we’ll come out fighting.” This feeling encapsulates both the team’s resolve to right the ship, as much as they’re able, after everything—and all that is still going wrong.
Maia Bouchier, who has played a single T20I, has received the nod as cover for the batting unit. That’s because Bouchier has been in tremendous form for Hampshire this season. She is now the seventh-highest top-scorer in this year’s Women’s T20 Blast, with 242 runs under her belt. Her addition is intended to stabilize a unit that has had a hard time getting in sync this Tournament against India.
Beaumont knew the squad had a desire for bigger tests. That not only included this year, but their previous appearances in world tournaments and premier series, which they underperformed at. She remarked, “We keep talking about how we’ve wanted more challenge for a long time. We are well aware of the fact our results in world tournaments or big series like the Ashes haven’t been what we want for a number of years.”
It is a huge test to come for England as they face a confident Indian side in their next match. It will require the players to regroup in short order and tap into their competitive fire if they want to have any hope of salvaging the series.
Leave a Reply