England Women shift camp to South Africa ahead of T20 World Cup after Abu Dhabi cancellation

A group of 30 England women’s players will travel to South Africa to begin making their cases for selection ahead of a home T20 World Cup later this year, after plans to tour Abu Dhabi were hastily rearranged due to the ongoing conflict in the region.

The players will be split into two 15-member squads to play a five-match intra-squad series in Pretoria between March 10 and 27. The teams will be named Team Brittin and Team Heyhoe-Flint, in honour of former England greats Jan Brittin and Rachael Heyhoe-Flint, both of whom lifted a World Cup trophy on home soil.

England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt will lead Team Brittin, coached by former Durham batter and England Women’s assistant coach Jon Lewis. Meanwhile, vice-captain Charlie Dean will captain Team Heyhoe-Flint, which will be coached by another assistant coach, Luke Williams.

England Women’s head coach Charlotte Edwards will oversee both squads during the series and has challenged the players to stake their claims for a place in the T20 World Cup squad.

"This is a big opportunity for every player involved to put their hand up and demonstrate that they're an invaluable part of our World Cup plans. It's the same chance for every player, whether they're new to the team or they've played 100 games. We want to use this series as a chance to stretch ourselves and put ourselves under pressure in competitive match situations,” said Edwards as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

Eight players on the tour are yet to make a senior appearance for England. Among them is Davina Perrin, who burst into public attention with a 43-ball 101 for Northern Superchargers in the Eliminator during last year’s The Hundred. She is joined by England Under-19 teammate Tilly Corteen-Coleman, whose economy rate of 5.75 was the second-best among the top 10 wicket-takers in the Women’s Hundred last year, where she claimed 11 wickets at an average of 14.81.

Former Under-19 captain Grace Scrivens will also travel, along with Alexa Stonehouse, Grace Potts and Jodi Grewcock. Ellie Threlkeld has also been included in the squad, as has fellow wicketkeeper-batter Rhianna Southby. Meanwhile, regular England Women’s leg-spinner Sarah Glenn will miss the tour after fracturing a finger during training in February.

England will host New Zealand and India in white-ball series ahead of the T20 World Cup, which will run from June 12 to July 5. They will then face India in the first women’s Test match to be played at Lord’s.

Team Heyhoe Flint: Em Arlott, Tammy Beaumont, Tilly Corteen-Coleman, Charlie Dean (capt), Sophie Ecclestone, Mahika Gaur, Dani Gibson, Jodi Grewcock, Amy Jones, Heather Knight, Emma Lamb, Grace Potts, Grace Scrivens, Alexa Stonehouse, Danni Wyatt-Hodge

Team Brittin: Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Sophia Dunkley, Lauren Filer, Freya Kemp, Charis Pavely, Davina Perrin, Paige Scholfield, Nat Sciver-Brunt (capt), Linsey Smith, Rhianna Southby, Ellie Threlkeld, Mady Villiers, Issy Wong