England’s build-up to this summer’s home T20 World Cup has taken a late detour. A 30-player training party was meant to gather in Abu Dhabi this week, only for the security picture in the Gulf to change. Cue a rapid rewrite: everyone now flies to Pretoria, South Africa, with nets and intra-squad fixtures pencilled in from 10-27 March.
The plan, hastily redrawn on Monday, is straightforward. Two 15-strong line-ups – Team Brittin and Team Heyhoe-Flint, named after World Cup-winning pioneers Jan Brittin and Rachael Heyhoe-Flint – will play a five-match series at the High Performance Centre. The games will be proper contests: coloured clothing, live-streamed, and with England’s support staff treating them as mini-internationals.
Nat Sciver-Brunt captains Team Brittin, Jon Lewis coaches them, and Charlie Dean leads Team Heyhoe-Flint under Luke Williams. Head coach Charlotte Edwards will float between the two, eyes peeled for form, fitness and a touch of nerve.
“This is a big opportunity for every player involved to put their hand up and demonstrate that they’re an invaluable part of our World Cup plans,” Edwards said. “It’s the same chance for every player, whether they’re new to the team or they’ve played 100 games. We want to use this series as a chance to stretch ourselves and put ourselves under pressure in competitive match situations.”
Eight uncapped cricketers are on the flight. Davina Perrin, still only 19, caught the eye with that 43-ball hundred for Northern Superchargers in last summer’s Hundred Eliminator; left-arm spinner Tilly Corteen-Coleman conceded just 5.75 an over in the same competition. Former Under-19s skipper Grace Scrivens, seamer Grace Potts, all-rounder Alexa Stonehouse and leg-spinning batter Jodi Grewcock also get a look-in. Keeper Ellie Threlkeld, now 27, travels after years of consistency with Lancashire, as does Southern Vipers wicketkeeper-batter Rhianna Southby.
One notable absentee is leg-spinner Sarah Glenn, sidelined by a fractured finger picked up in February. The medical team expect her back bowling in April, but England are wary of rushing her.
In many ways, Pretoria is phase three of a winter that has already taken the squad to Oman for skills work and Stellenbosch for conditioning. The first two camps focused on drills and fitness; this one is about match sharpness. It makes sense: once they return, England host New Zealand in May and India in late May-early June before the World Cup starts on 12 June. A historic women’s Test at Lord’s against India follows in late July.
Quick look at the two squads (asterisks mark potential debutants):
Team Heyhoe-Flint: Em Arlott, Tammy Beaumont, Tilly Corteen-Coleman, Charlie Dean (c), Sophie Ecclestone, Mahika Gaur, Dani Gibson, Jodi Grewcock, Amy Jones, Heather Knight, Emma Lamb, Grace Potts, Grace Scrivens, Alexa Stonehouse, Danni Wyatt-Hodge
Team Brittin: Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Sophia Dunkley, Lauren Filer, Freya Kemp, Charis Pavely, Davina Perrin, Paige Scholfield, Nat Sciver-Brunt (c), Lizzie Scott, Ellie Threlkeld*, Issy Wong, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Kirstie Gordon
Selection maths is tight. England can take only 15 to the World Cup; at least four slots are realistically up for grabs. Wicketkeeping is especially crowded, while the balance between pace, spin and all-round depth remains a live discussion. Performance under South African skies will matter.
All in all, the cancellation of the Abu Dhabi leg has been an inconvenience rather than a disaster. Pretoria is familiar territory – reliable weather, decent wickets, and facilities that close the gap between practice and the real thing. The players will hope the same can be said about their own form when the camp wraps up on 27 March.
