A new era for England women’s cricket dawns on Monday as they begin a Test match – at Taunton, against South Africa – without Katherine Brunt and Anya Shrubsole for the first time in 14 years. With Shrubsole having retired from international cricket and Brunt stepping back to focus on white-ball cricket, Lisa Keightley says the summer represents the beginning of “a new cycle”. “We need to see which players are going to stick their hand up and lead the way with the ball,” says the coach.
Aiming to do precisely that is the 21-year-old quick Lauren Bell, who is in the frame to make her international debut after being included as a travelling reserve for the World Cup this year. “If it happens, which I’m still not sure if it will, it will be really exciting, a real proud moment,” Bell says. “It’s special to play this format of cricket.”
