It is “take two” for England’s women on Tuesday at Hove in the second one-day international against South Africa following a dreadful start to their summer on Saturday. In a championship hangover since lifting the World Cup at Lord’s in July last year, Heather Knight’s side have lost five of their next seven one‑day internationals.
There is no panic inside the camp as yet, however, with players and staff mindful that this is the start of a meaty 2018 campaign culminating with the World T20 in November.
“One loss doesn’t mean it’s all doom and gloom and suddenly you need to change the makeup of the team,” Anya Shrubsole said on Monday. “If you look back to the World Cup we had a very similar side and obviously that went pretty well.”
That was a response to whether the side is overly reliant on the vice‑captain and her long-term new ball partner Katherine Brunt.
“Our backup seamers have done exceptional jobs,” Shrubsole said in reference to the all‑rounders Nat Sciver and Jenny Gunn. It does not help that candidates for a third front-line quick – including the centrally contracted bowlers Kate Cross, Beth Langston and Tash Farrant – have not won spots in this squad, let alone the current team.
The contrast was drawn into focus by South Africa’s three-pronged seam attack, all of whom contributed to England’s top-order collapse. Their coach, Hilton Moreeng, described it as a “near-to-perfect” bowling performance in the series opener.
Needing more immediate redress than the calibration of England’s attack is the batting of those who dominated last year. The quartet who made World Cup tons – Knight, Tammy Beaumont, Sciver and Sarah Taylor – compiled only 26 runs between them at Worcester as they slumped to 65 for six on a pitch with no obvious demons.
“We were thoroughly well beaten,” Shrubsole said of the opening rubber. “South Africa bowled well, they attacked the stumps, and you know you can always expect aggression from Shabnim Ismail and Marizanne Kapp up top and we saw that. Some of the batters will probably be disappointed with how they got out.” Not wrong.
Of her old mate Brunt’s unbeaten 72, which saved the hosts from a sub-100 humiliation, Shrubsole was lavish in praise: “She’s fought for a long time to be seen as a genuine all‑rounder and within this team, we’ve always seen her like that. It was an amazing innings.”
