Sciver-Brunt on course for batting role at World Cup after calf injury

Sciver-Brunt on Course for Batting Role at World Cup

Nat Sciver-Brunt is on course for a batting role at the World Cup after a calf injury, with Sciver-Brunt on course for batting role at World Cup after calf injury being a significant development for England’s chances in the tournament.

Injury Update

A calf injury suffered while playing in the domestic One-Day Cup on April 29 ruled Sciver-Brunt out of the whole of England’s competitive build-up to the tournament, which the hosts will open on June 12 against Sri Lanka at Edgbaston.

As revealed by head coach Charlotte Edwards following England’s series-clinching victory over India in the third T20I at Taunton on Tuesday, Sciver-Brunt is on track to play as a batter in warm-up games against Australia on June 8 and India on June 10.

Return to Form

Sciver-Brunt’s readiness will come as a relief to England, for on-field reasons as well as off. On Wednesday, she joined Lauren Bell and Sophia Dunkley in promoting a 17.6m by 44.6m display in London’s Piccadilly Lights.

The display made them the first England cricketers, male or female, to appear on London’s Piccadilly Lights as part of the This Feels Different campaign by the ECB and Metro Bank, aimed at encouraging girls to play cricket.

Team Performance

That’s not least because the practicalities of building up Sciver-Brunt’s bowling workloads in-tournament are, by her own admission, “not easy to predict” and a “day-by-day” prospect.

Bell has led the seam-bowling to great effect in her absence, particularly taking by wickets in the powerplay, which became a focus after last year’s 50-over World Cup.

“When I came back from the World Cup in India, I looked at my game and highlighted the powerplay,” Bell told ESPNcricinfo. “As an area as, I’m in the team to take powerplay wickets, I probably wasn’t delivering on that.

“And so I had a period between getting back from the World Cup and going to the WPL, maybe two or three months of training, and you don’t get that that often. So I had a really big training block of working on the powerplay stuff. I’ve worked really hard and I guess I have more clarity on what I’m trying to do.”

Confidence Boost

Sciver-Brunt has had plenty of time to think about what it would mean for a side which has underperformed on the big stage in recent times to lift the World Cup trophy in the final at Lord’s on July 5.

“What would it mean? That all of the hard work and everything that we’ve done in preparation was worth it, that we are the confident and successful team that we are,” she said.

“We show snippets of what we can be, but in a tournament [we] never quite get over the line in the close games. We have moments, but I guess it would be validation that we are a brilliant cricket team.

“It would mean a hell of a lot. I don’t know if I can put it into words. I have allowed myself to feel like I might lift the trophy, but once that tournament starts, it’ll be business as usual.”