Cricket

England Women's cricket team has undergone a significant transformation under head coach Jon Lewis, embracing a more aggressive and attacking style of play. However, captain Heather Knight emphasizes the importance of becoming smarter and adapting to different conditions.Since Lewis' appointment in 2022, England has drawn the Ashes series against Australia and defeated New Zealand in both ODIs and T20Is. However, Knight acknowledges that the team still has room for improvement.During their recent series against Pakistan, England struggled to maintain consistency and polish. Knight believes that the upcoming series against New Zealand will provide an opportunity to build on the lessons learned during their tour of New Zealand earlier this year."We became a bit of a smarter team," Knight said. "We learned how to adapt to different conditions and how to be a bit more patient when necessary."England's recent record has been impressive, with only two ODI losses and 21 T20I wins since December 2022. However, Knight stresses the importance of continuing to improve and winning games even when the conditions are not ideal."Our job is just to keep getting better and keep playing the cricket that we want to play," Knight said. "We need to be smart with it and adapt to what's in front of us."The balance between aggression and adaptability is crucial in T20 cricket, where margins for error are small. Knight highlights the importance of being clear on individual roles and responsibilities within the team.Beyond on-field success, Knight is also passionate about inspiring young people through cricket. She has worked with Chance to Shine, a children's cricket charity, for many years, and believes that providing positive experiences for state-school children is essential for the growth of the sport."It's really important to try to get cricket into state schools," Knight said. "Chance to Shine is doing amazing work in giving young people from all backgrounds the opportunity to experience cricket."

In a thrilling Charlotte Edwards Cup encounter at Bristol's Seat Unique Stadium, Southern Vipers emerged victorious over Western Storm by 19 runs, thanks to a superb all-round performance from Georgia Adams.Adams, the Vipers captain, led the charge with a 40-ball 55, including six fours and a six. She formed a crucial 55-run partnership with Charli Knott (37) to help the Vipers post a competitive 137-9 after losing the toss.Western Storm's chase got off to a shaky start as they lost Nat Wraith and Fran Wilson in quick succession to Linsey Smith's slow left-arm bowling. However, Heather Knight, the England captain, kept Storm in the hunt with a brilliant 69 from 56 balls.But Adams proved to be a thorn in Storm's side, claiming Knight's wicket in the penultimate over. She finished with figures of 2 for 23, while fellow spinner Charlie Dean took 3 for 24.Lauren Filer produced her best performance of the season for Storm, taking 3 for 8 in four overs. Amanda Jade Wellington also impressed with figures of 3 for 17, but it was the Vipers' spinners who ultimately made the difference.Knott, Dean, and Smith all played crucial roles in restricting Storm's scoring, keeping the defending champions on course for a place in the knockout stages.

England's women's cricket team, led by captain Heather Knight, won the toss and elected to bat first in the third and final ODI against Pakistan at Chelmsford. The match marked a welcome change from the dismal weather that had plagued the previous two days of the series, with clear skies and only a slight chance of scattered showers.England made one change to their lineup, bringing in Lauren Bell to lead the attack in place of Lauren Filer. Pakistan, on the other hand, fielded the same XI that had narrowly lost the opening fixture in Derby.England's batting lineup got off to a solid start, with Maia Bouchier and Tammy Beaumont putting on a 50-run partnership for the first wicket. Beaumont continued to anchor the innings, scoring a well-paced 64 before being dismissed by Diana Baig.Nat Sciver-Brunt and Alice Capsey then combined for a 70-run partnership, with Sciver-Brunt scoring a fluent 50. Danni Wyatt and Amy Jones also made valuable contributions, helping England post a competitive total of 261/9 in their allotted 50 overs.Pakistan's chase got off to a shaky start, with Sidra Ameen and Sadaf Shamas falling cheaply. Muneeba Ali and Ayesha Zafar steadied the innings with a 50-run partnership, but England's bowlers kept the pressure on.Sciver-Brunt and Sophie Ecclestone were particularly impressive, taking three wickets each. Pakistan's middle order failed to capitalize on the platform set by Ali and Zafar, and they were eventually bowled out for 190 in the 45th over.England's victory secured a 2-1 series win over Pakistan, a result that will boost their confidence ahead of the upcoming Commonwealth Games.

England's captain, Heather Knight, has emphasized the team's commitment to their aggressive batting approach, which proved successful in their recent T20I series sweep against Pakistan. However, she acknowledges the need for adaptation to the different rhythms of the 50-over format as they prepare for the first ODI against the same opponents on Friday.Knight's crucial innings of 49 from 44 balls in the first T20I at Edgbaston helped rescue England from a precarious position. She expressed confidence in the team's ability to post competitive totals, as demonstrated by their varied performances in each match."We posted pretty good totals each time, which was really pleasing," Knight said. "Knowing different ways to punch out a score is really important. That's a good sign, and I think it's a real strength of ours, that depth we have in our batting."Knight praised the team's response to the slower pace of Pakistan's bowlers, highlighting the importance of learning how to approach such conditions. She believes this experience will be valuable for the upcoming T20 World Cup in Bangladesh."The response from the top-order from that first game was really good," she said. "I feel like it's a really good learning for us about how we're going to approach those bowlers on potentially slower wickets."While maintaining their aggressive mindset, Knight recognizes the need for a more calculated approach in ODI cricket. "In ODI cricket, you have a little bit more time to read situations and cope with the ebbs and flows of the games," she explained. "There's obviously a lot of space to be aggressive, but you've got to do it for longer and be a bit more calculated."Tammy Beaumont, who missed the T20Is, is expected to return to the ODI squad, alongside Maia Bouchier and Danni Wyatt. Kate Cross will also play a key role as a senior seamer, especially with Nat Sciver-Brunt's limited availability as a bowler.Knight acknowledged the intense competition within England's batting lineup, with Sophia Dunkley also pushing for a recall. She believes this competition will drive individual improvement.However, Knight recognizes the challenges that the switch to the ODI format may pose, particularly for younger players who are more accustomed to T20 cricket. She cited Alice Capsey as an example, who has played significantly more T20 matches than List A games."Alice is still working out the tempo that she wants to go at," Knight said. "She's had success in dominating the powerplay, but it's about expanding her game and learning to adapt to different situations."Knight also faces a dilemma in balancing her spin attack, with Sophie Ecclestone, Charlie Dean, and Sarah Glenn all vying for selection. "It's something that we haven't really done, but it's so hard to leave one of them out there," she said.While the T20 World Cup remains England's primary focus, Knight is mindful of the upcoming ODI World Cup in 2025. "For me, it's about improving as a team, be it in the T20 format or the one-day format," she said. "I want us to focus on what we're doing now, which is trying to win the series against Pakistan."

England captain Heather Knight has urged her team to "put on a show" with the bat in the third and final T20I against Pakistan at Headingley. The hosts have already secured the series after winning the first two matches, but Knight is keen for her side to maintain their momentum."We were back to our best in Northampton," said Knight, referring to England's 65-run victory in the second T20I. "That was a proper performance."England have made one change to their team, bringing in the extra pace of Lauren Filer for Lauren Bell. Knight believes the pitch at Headingley may offer some assistance to the seamers, but she expects it to dry out quickly on a sunny afternoon.Pakistan, meanwhile, have also made one change, adding opener Ayesha Zafar to their batting lineup in place of spinner Nashra Sandhu. Captain Nida Dar acknowledged that her team needs to improve their batting performance."We have been doing well in the fielding and bowling," said Dar. "We need to work on the batting side."

England's women's cricket team overcame a disastrous start to defeat Pakistan by 53 runs in the opening match of their home international summer.After losing four wickets for just 11 runs in the first three overs, England were rescued by a match-saving partnership between Amy Jones and Heather Knight. Jones, playing her 100th T20I, scored 37 off 27 balls, while Knight contributed 49 off 39 deliveries.Dani Gibson's unbeaten 41 off 21 balls helped England post a competitive total of 163 for 6. Pakistan made a spirited start to their chase, but leg-spinner Sarah Glenn's four-wicket haul kept them in check.Glenn, playing her first match for England since suffering a concussion during the recent tour of New Zealand, finished with figures of 4 for 12 from her four overs. Seamer Lauren Bell took three wickets, while left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone and off-spinner Charlie Dean claimed one wicket each.Pakistan's chase was derailed by a series of run-outs and poor shot selection. Sadaf Shamas top-scored with 35 off 24 balls, but her dismissal in an unnecessary run-out proved to be a turning point.England's victory was a testament to their resilience and the depth of their batting lineup. Despite losing their top order cheaply, they were able to recover and post a competitive total. Pakistan's bowlers struggled to contain England's batters, and their fielding was also error-prone.

Somerset's appointment of England captain Heather Knight to their board has been hailed as a shrewd move by England Women's head coach Jon Lewis. Knight's role will involve advising on cricketing matters as Somerset prepares to compete in the top tier of the new domestic women's competition next year.Lewis believes Knight's experience and knowledge will be invaluable to Somerset, who are one of three new teams joining the top flight alongside Durham and Essex. "Somerset have made a really smart decision in getting someone involved in their board who's got a real intrinsic knowledge of women's cricket," Lewis said.Knight's appointment comes at a critical time for women's cricket in England and Wales, with the regional set-up set to be disbanded after this summer. Many players face moving to different cities to play at the highest level, or playing in the lower tiers of the new competition.Knight is acutely aware of the challenges facing players and has emphasized the importance of supporting them during this transition. "It's important that the girls are looked after and helped to transition into the new structure," she said.Meanwhile, Bess Heath may find herself taking on more wicketkeeping duties for Northern Diamonds after being earmarked as Amy Jones' understudy in the England set-up. Lewis expressed concern that Heath had not been keeping wicket regularly for Diamonds, despite being one of the best young wicketkeepers in the country."It does really concern me that one of the best young wicketkeepers in the country isn't keeping wicket," Lewis said. "She's a really dynamic batter and we hope that she's able to keep wicket for the Diamonds."Heath's importance as a back-up keeper for England was highlighted by the omission of Tammy Beaumont from the T20I squad to face Pakistan. Lewis emphasized the need to balance Heath's development with providing cover for Jones."We need to balance her development with as equal a dose of playing as we can, whilst also having cover for Amy Jones because we would look a little bit silly if Amy injured a finger during a game or during warm-ups and we didn't have a keeper around," Lewis said.

England's captain, Heather Knight, has set a bold challenge for her squad to dominate regional cricket this summer. With the T20 World Cup and Ashes looming later this year, Knight hopes domestic players will seize the opportunity to stake their claim for selection.The Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, a 50-over competition, kicks off on Saturday. While many of England's centrally-contracted players will miss the opening weekend due to Tammy Beaumont's wedding, they will have chances to feature for their regions before the T20I series against Pakistan on May 11."It's never a closed door," Knight emphasized. "The standard of regional games has skyrocketed, so performances are more valuable. We want England players to dominate and put their names forward for selection."Competition for places in England's T20 setup is fierce ahead of the World Cup in Bangladesh. Knight is encouraged by the recent 4-1 series win in New Zealand and the return of Mahika Gaur and Freya Kemp from injury."We have a real depth of players," Knight said. "It makes selection tougher, but it's a good place to be. With the World Cup in October, we need to keep moving forward."Maia Bouchier emerged as a breakout star in New Zealand, finishing as the leading run-scorer. Knight praised her talent and ability to convert it into performances."She's someone you watch and think, 'how does she play that shot?'" Knight said. "She's had a brilliant tour, and now it's about building on that consistency."Edgbaston has already sold over 10,000 tickets for England's opening T20I against Pakistan. Knight believes the joint marketing campaign with the men's series can build on the success of last summer's Ashes."It was an awesome summer to be involved with," Knight said. "We felt the support and momentum for cricket around the country. Hopefully, we can put on a show."