<\/p>\n
England got off to a winning start in their T20 series against New Zealand at Derby, after Alice Capsey struck an unbeaten 74 from 51 balls \u2013 her highest score for England, and her first T20i half-century since July 2024.<\/p>\n
Capsey has generally batted at No\u00a03 for England but was promoted to open in place of Danni Wyatt-Hodge, missing this series because of the imminent birth of her first child. Capsey made full use of the extra time, smoking three sixes and seven fours as England chased down their 137-run target with seven wickets and 16 balls to spare.<\/p>\n Hers was a more restrained innings than that of New Zealand\u2019s Sophie Devine, who wellied four sixes over midwicket but crashed and burned for 45, bowled by Dani Gibson when she failed to \u00adconnect with a straight one.<\/p>\n By contrast, Capsey initially shared a measured partnership with Heather Knight which centred around effective strike rotation, before moving through the gears with Freya Kemp. With the start of the World Cup now only three weeks away, she has chosen exactly the right time to \u00adrediscover some swagger.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve had some really productive conversations over the last couple of days with Lottie [head coach Charlotte Edwards] and [Alex] Gidman, our batting coach,\u201d Capsey said. \u201cThe biggest messaging from them was that I didn\u2019t need to change how I play. I didn\u2019t need to try and go out there and strike at 150. Batting my way was good enough to do the job.\u201d<\/p>\n As the World Cup looms, these T20s \u2013 three against New Zealand and three against India \u2013 should give England the chance to polish away any rustiness, having last played a T20 international 10 months ago. Their ring fielding certainly looked sharp\u00a0enough.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve worked so hard on all facets of our game and I feel like today showcased that,\u201d Capsey said. \u201cTo keep them below 140 was outstanding.\u201d<\/p>\n Nat Sciver-Brunt remains absent nursing a calf tear \u2013 though we are assured the captain will be fit for the World Cup. But injuries aside, this was presumably something approximating to England\u2019s World Cup starting XI, with Ecclestone, Charlie Dean and Linsey Smith as the chosen spin triumvirate, Lauren Bell as their one frontline seamer, and no space for the 18-year-old Tilly Corteen-Coleman, uncapped in this format.<\/p>\n The course of play offered an intriguing insight into England\u2019s World Cup strategy: Bell and Smith opened the bowling, while Kemp sent down her first two overs for England since January 2025, after an ongoing battle to recover from a stress fracture in her back.<\/p>\n