England has recently revealed their squad for the upcoming T20Is and ODIs against Sri Lanka, with uncapped Mahika Gaur and Bess Heath being named for their first call-ups.
Despite her impressive century in The Hundred, Tammy Beaumont has once again been left out of the T20 squad.
Meanwhile, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Sophie Ecclestone, Danni Wyatt, and Sophia Dunkley will be rested for all or part of the series, as England looks to manage the workload of their players.
17-year-old Mahika Gaur, who was born in Reading but represented UAE in the 2023 Women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup, has been included in England’s squads for the three T20 internationals and as many one-day internationals against Sri Lanka.
Gaur has recently helped North West Thunder to Charlotte Cup Edwards Finals Day and made her debut in The Hundred for Manchester Originals.
The left-arm seamer is expected to make a significant contribution to the team.
Bess Heath, on the other hand, has been named in both groups and will be playing as a wicketkeeper-batter.
The 21-year-old helped Northern Diamonds to win the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy in 2022 and has played in each of Northern Superchargers’ games in this season’s edition of The Hundred.
Her inclusion in the squad is expected to add depth to the team’s batting line-up.
Unfortunately, despite hitting the highest score in the history of The Hundred, Tammy Beaumont has been left out of the T20 squad once again.
However, she has been included in the ODI party. The 32-year-old has been waiting for a first T20 international appearance since January 2022. Despite this, it is expected that she will continue to make significant contributions to the ODI series.
The first T20 international is set to take place at Hove on Thursday, August 21, while the one-day international series is scheduled to begin at Chester-le-Street in Durham on Saturday, September 9.
Notably, Sophie Ecclestone and Sophia Dunkley will be sitting out both series, while Nat-Sciver Brunt will be rested for the T20s and Danni Wyatt for the ODIs, as England looks to manage the workload of their players.
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All-rounder Freya Kemp has recovered from a stress fracture of the back and is back in the T20 group, while pace bowler Lauren Filer earns a first T20 call-up.
Filer impressed with her pace during the Women’s Ashes Test earlier this summer, taking four wickets including Ellyse Perry twice.
She was then called into the ODI squad for that multi-format series but did not make an appearance.
England drew the Ashes series 8-8 on points, fighting back from 6-0 down after defeats in the sole Test and first T20 international.
England head coach Jon Lewis said:
“We have named a squad with a good blend of youth and experience and see this as an important series to test the depth of playing pool. We have some exciting, new young players coming in who we are looking forward to working with.
“Mahika is a very exciting talent. Left-arm swing bowlers of over six-foot tall are unique in women’s cricket. Mahika has shown consistently this summer that she is a threat with the new ball and we are excited to see how she performs at international level.
“Bess is an all-action cricketer who impacts games and is a great fit for us and how we want to play. She impressed in the A team games against Australia earlier in the summer and she also provides cover for Amy Jones with the gloves.
“With a [T20] World Cup coming up next year [in Bangladesh], it’s imperative we develop the squad and players can gain international caps and experience.
“The chance to play at venues around the country is exciting. It’s great the opening fixture against Sri Lanka at Hove is now sold out. After an incredible Ashes summer, we want to maintain momentum on and off the field and look forward to getting started.”
