England’s women have stitched together four straight warm-up victories, and head coach Charlotte Edwards believes the form line is “really positive” ahead of Friday’s World Cup start against South Africa in Cape Town.
Edwards, installed before the home summer, presided over a mixed first campaign: England swept West Indies but slipped to twin white-ball defeats against India. A fortnight in Abu Dhabi, followed by wins over New Zealand (twice), co-hosts India and holders Australia, has lifted the mood without anyone getting “carried away”, as the coach put it.
“The players are really responding well, certainly to a slight change of style,” Edwards said on Wednesday. “Hopefully we’ve seen the results over the last four games, which have been really positive. We’re not getting carried away, don’t worry, but we know that we’re on the right track and we’re tracking really well moving into the first game.”
Key contributions
• Nat Sciver-Brunt retired on 120 from 104 balls against India, underlining her dual role as captain and middle-order linchpin. England piled up 340 for 9 that day.
• Heather Knight, returning after a hamstring tear in May, posted 41 from 48 balls in the first New Zealand match. Edwards called her “vital to our success out here”.
• Emma Lamb reeled off three fifties in four innings, while Sophia Dunkley and Alice Capsey banked time in the middle.
• Leg-spinner Sarah Glenn, short of cricket during the home season, claimed 5 for 32 to bowl Australia out for 247 in 34.4 overs.
Such balance has been missing since last year’s T20 World Cup group exit and a winless Ashes, but Edwards was in no mood to rake over old coals.
“I’ve not spoken about anything about the past,” she added. “It’s all about looking forward with this group now. We’ve created an environment where it’s about taking accountability now and we’ve” — the sentence tailed away, though the message was clear enough: new chapter, clean slate.
Fielding focus
England’s ground work had been a sore point, yet signs are brighter. “You’ll be pleased to hear we’ve been fielding really well, that’s something that we obviously wanted to work on,” Edwards said. “So I’m really pleased with how the four games have gone and we’ve been put in some pretty tough situations at times as well. Under pressure, the players have responded really well.”
Sciver-Brunt the bowler
The captain’s bowling loads were limited after a back niggle during the home summer, but England expect her to be fully involved with the ball. Team staff report no discomfort and the all-rounder delivered short spells in Abu Dhabi. Her overs, alongside Glenn’s leg-spin and Kate Cross’s new-ball discipline, form a more rounded attack than that on show last winter.
No ‘friendlies’
“There’s never a friendly against an international opposition, so I think we’ve taken a lot of confidence, not necessarily around the result, but the way we’ve played,” Edwards noted. “I feel we’re really nicely placed.”
Room for caution
Warm-up matches rarely mirror tournament pressure, and England have been here before—flashes of promise followed by stumbles when it matters. Yet the variety of opponents beaten, and the manner of victory over Australia in particular, suggest improvement is underpinned by substance rather than sentiment.
What next
England fly to Cape Town on Thursday and will train at Newlands the evening before facing South Africa. Selection looks settled: Knight returns at three, Sciver-Brunt captains from four, Lamb keeps the opening berth she secured in Abu Dhabi, and Glenn’s five-for almost certainly seals the lone specialist spinner’s spot.
A brisk start would soothe lingering doubts, but, as Edwards keeps reminding anyone who asks, looking back is no longer on the agenda.
