Charlotte Edwards cut a composed, if clearly disappointed, figure after England’s hefty 125-run defeat by South Africa in Guwahati – a result that ended their Women’s World Cup journey at the semi-final stage. “Time to look to the future,” she told Sky Sports moments after shaking hands with Laura Wolvaardt and Marizanne Kapp, the two South Africans who did most of the damage.
Wolvaardt’s 169 from 143 balls and Kapp’s five-wicket burst – including a double-wicket maiden to begin England’s chase of 320 – left little room for debate about the better team on the day. Edwards was quick to acknowledge as much. Yet she also returned to a theme she has repeated since accepting the job in April: progress, while visible in patches, is not yet consistent.
Before the tournament she had called a semi-final the minimum target, so she did not pretend the finish was anything other than short of England’s own ambitions. Group-stage wobbles against Bangladesh and Pakistan had already shown flaws in the batting, and an emphatic six-wicket loss to Australia in Indore re-lit memories of last winter’s Ashes whitewash.
Edwards resisted wholesale changes when she succeeded Jon Lewis, preferring to tweak the existing set-up. Evidence of the upside came in that gritty four-run win over hosts India, again in Indore, but the broader issues never disappeared. With this World Cup drawing a line under the current four-year ODI cycle – and with a home T20 World Cup only eight months away – the coach now sounds ready for bolder moves.
“I’m a winner,” Edwards said. “I don’t like losing. When I came into this role, I knew it wasn’t going to change overnight. I’ve seen some really positive things to come out of this trip. I think we’ve performed a little bit better under pressure, but certain moments we haven’t seized, and that’s going to be an ongoing thing.
“Overall, we are making progress, and that’s the most important thing. But ultimately, you’re defined on your results. And today we’re going out of a World Cup in the semi-final stage, where we were all hopeful we could really make that final.”
“I knew it wasn’t going to be a quick fix. We’ve got some areas we need to work on, but that probably makes me more hungry now to go back home and work with these players over the winter period.”
Many of those players will first head to Australia for the WBBL. After that, Edwards has pencilled in training camps in Oman and South Africa from December through March. Younger names will be mixed with established ones in competitive scenarios not unlike the men’s North v South fixtures Andrew Strauss introduced in 2018. The idea is to sharpen selection calls for both the T20 World Cup and the start of a new ODI cycle.
Former England captain Clare Connor, speaking on BBC radio, backed the approach. “The core is strong, but Charlotte knows they need fresh energy for that home T20 World Cup,” she said. “The camps should give fringe players real chances rather than merely net time.”
Meanwhile, Nat Sciver-Brunt, standing by the advertising boards after England’s exit, offered a player’s perspective: “You never enjoy watching another side celebrate, but you take your lessons. We’ve got a bit of time, not loads, to make sure we’re better next time.”
Edwards’ own verdict remained measured. The semi-final defeat hurt, she conceded, yet it may also accelerate overdue decisions on personnel and roles. The next few months, then, look set to be as intense off the field as anything England experienced in India.
“We’ve got a new cycle now of ODI cricket, haven’t w…” she began, before trailing off and heading towards the team bus – plans forming, disappointment still raw, but very much looking forward.
