Heather Knight said England’s strength in the T20 format would give them the best chance of salvaging their Ashes chances, with their series hopes hanging by a thread after three consecutive ODI defeats.
England must win all three T20s, which begin on Monday in Sydney, to have any chance of regaining the Ashes, but their captain is confident England can achieve the feat.
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“In the 2023 Ashes series, we were in exactly the same position,” Knight said, referring to England’s dramatic comeback from 6-0 down to level the series 8-8. “We focused on the moment and tried to win the next game.
“The change in format will suit us. T20 is a real strength for us. The model we have in T20 cricket is very clear, and the way we have played T20 has been really dominant over the last couple of years.
Knight confirmed that Sophia Dunkley and Sarah Glenn would both come into the XI for the T20s, with Dunkley batting at No.3, likely in place of Alice Capsey. Versatile players Dani Gibson and Freya Kemp are both fit for selection, having recovered from injuries earlier this winter, but appear to be battling for the number 7 role, with Knight strongly hinting that Kemp would be preferred due to the variety offered. by the left-hander. “These girls desperately want to bring a lot to the team and bring that energy,” Knight said.
By the time they take the field at the SCG on Monday evening, England will have had just three days to shake off their disappointment after losing 6-0 in the series, and one player in particular looks set to bear the brunt of defeat. busy schedule – seamstress Lauren Bell. Bell was one of the few players selected in all three Ashes squads (ODI, T20 and Test) and was expected to be rested for at least one of the T20s. However, such has been her success in the ODI format that Knight hopes to select her in every match of the series – despite the compressed schedule.
“I’m pretty confident that Belly can make it through the seven [Ashes matches]”, Chevalier said. “She’s pretty fit, she’s really strong. In a massive series like this, you want to try and play against your best team as much as possible, so we hope to achieve that.
This will be bad news for Australia, who have found Bell’s new move difficult to deal with in the ODIs. “Lauren Bell has changed a lot since the last time we played her,” Phoebe Litchfield said. “She has shown very good consistency and she is sending the ball the other way this time.”
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Australia’s big headache is whether they can find room for Alana King in their T20 XI, after her extraordinary success in the ODI part of the series. Leg-spinner King has not played a T20 international for Australia in almost two years, but is the leading wicket-taker in these Ashes so far with 11 wickets; his four for 25, just as England looked to successfully reach their target of 181 runs, changed the course of the Melbourne ODI.
Australia’s last outing in T20 cricket came at the World Cup in October, which saw them knocked out in the semi-final by South Africa, but Litchfield said the experience had helped the team to think about.
“We learned a lot from this game,” Litchfield said. “We were really disappointed to be eliminated, but that’s where we learn the most as a team. Since then, we’ve reflected on our times and can’t wait to come out strong and get back into the game.
“The way England play is very attacking – they probably approach the game like any other team in the world. We certainly won’t take them lightly. I’m delighted that our team is releasing the chains.