Tammy Beaumont hit three successive half-centuries in 2-1 ODI series victory over New Zealand; three-match T20I series between the sides starts in Wellington on Wednesday; Beaumont backs fellow batter Danni Wyatt to find her form in shortest format
Tuesday 2 March 2021 10:32, UK
Tammy Beaumont is itching to open for England in the T20s against New Zealand after completing three successive half-centuries from that spot in the ODI series victory over the White Ferns.
Beaumont made scores of 71, 72 not out and 88 not out - becoming the sixth England Women player to pass 2,500 ODI runs in the process - as her side won the 50-over series 2-1.
The 29-year-old batted in the middle order for the bulk of England's T20 World Cup campaign in Australia in early 2020 but was back at the top for the 5-0 sweep of West Indies in Derby last summer, hitting 62 from 49 deliveries in the second match of the series.
Asked if she is eager to open against New Zealand in Wellington on Wednesday, Beaumont said: "I hope so. I went okay in that series against the West Indies and it's certainly where I prefer to bat.
"At the same time, I will do whatever's right for the team. We have a really strong batting line-up, plenty of top-order players at the moment, so it's a case of doing what the team needs - but I'd love to be opening."
Beaumont's ODI form was not matched by opening partner Danni Wyatt, who made scores of 17, 0 and 1 - but Beaumont feels the change of format could give her team-mate a boost.
Wyatt is the only Englishwoman to score two T20 international hundreds - against Australia in 2017 and India in 2018 - although she has been unable to pass 30 in her last 13 T20I innings.
Beaumont said of Wyatt: "Playing T20 cricket certainly suits her. She is so expansive and loves going out there to play her shots. That's the role she plays really well for England and has done for a long, long time.
"Hopefully she can get a few runs and get us off to great starts and I will get to watch her play some amazing innings."
England were knocked out at the semi-final stage of the 2020 T20 World Cup, with the rain-forced abandonment of their game with India seeing Heather Knight's side eliminated by dint of finishing second in their group during the league phase of the tournament.
The big competitions keep on coming for England over the next few years, though - they will defend the 50-over World Cup crown they won at home in 2017 in New Zealand in the spring of 2022, a year which will also include the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and Women's Ashes in Australia.
Then, in February 2023 in South Africa, the next Women's T20 World Cup will be staged.
Beaumont added: "I think we were building a really special team at that point [during the 2020 T20 World Cup].
"Pretty much everyone is still in the squad, so I think we will be trying really hard to up our game and maybe get into a World Cup final in the future."
