Emily Arlott, Lauren Bell, Alice Davidson-Richards, Freya Davies and Emma Lamb could all be in line for their first Test appearance for England Women against South Africa; the four-day game forms part of a multi-format series with three one-day internationals and three T20Is to follow
Tuesday 21 June 2022 06:38, UK
England Women have announced a 13-strong squad for the LV= Insurance Test against South Africa which includes five uncapped players.
Newcomers Emily Arlott, Lauren Bell, Alice Davidson-Richards, Freya Davies and Emma Lamb could all make their first Test appearance at Taunton in the four-day game from June 27-30, which is live on Sky Sports.
Seam bowlers Bell and Arlott have not played for England in any format as of yet but have been awarded places in the squad following the retirements of long-time new-ball pair Katherine Brunt and Anya Shrubsole.
Shrubsole retired from all forms of international cricket in April, while Brunt announced on Saturday that she was stepping away from the red-ball arena to focus solely on white-ball cricket.
Seamer Davies, who has played 24 white-ball internationals for England, is one of four out-and-out pace bowlers in the group, alongside Bell, Arlott and Kate Cross.
All-rounder Davidson-Richards could make her first appearance since 2018, when she played five T20 internationals and a solitary one-day international.
Lamb, meanwhile, looks poised to open the batting with Tammy Beaumont following the dropping of Lauren Winfield-Hill.
Winfield-Hill is part of an England Women A squad that will face South Africa in a three-day warm-up match in Arundel from Tuesday.
Head coach Lisa Keightley said: "There are a number of new faces in the squad which brings a real level of energy and enthusiasm.
"We're at the beginning of a new ICC Women's Championship cycle, which starts for us with the India ODIs, and it's natural that we're looking forward with one eye on who may be a key player for us come 2025.
"Similarly with Katherine Brunt retired from Test cricket and Anya Shrubsole from all forms of the international game, a number of bowling spots have opened up which is hugely exciting for those players. I'm sure they'll all be very keen to grab their opportunity.
"We have to balance having the appropriate back-up for the senior squad while also giving playing opportunities. We need our players to play as much cricket as possible, which is why we have a deliberately small Test squad while the England Women's A team are in action against South Africa.
"It really is a massive summer, with the Commonwealth Games just around the corner, and we can't wait to get started with the red ball in Taunton."
Heather Knight (Western Storm, cap)
Emily Arlott (Central Sparks)
Tammy Beaumont (Lightning)
Lauren Bell (Southern Vipers)
Kate Cross (Thunder)
Alice Davidson-Richards (South East Stars)
Freya Davies (South East Stars)
Charlie Dean (Southern Vipers)
Sophia Dunkley (South East Stars)
Sophie Ecclestone (Thunder)
Amy Jones (Central Sparks)
Emma Lamb (Thunder)
Nat Sciver (Northern Diamonds, vice captain)
Travelling reserve
Issy Wong (Central Sparks)
England seam bowler Katherine Brunt has announced her retirement from Test cricket but will carry on playing one-day and T20 internationals.
The 36-year-old is England Women's third-leading wicket-taker in Tests having amassed 51 scalps in 14 matches, including three five-wicket hauls and a best of 6-69 versus Australia in Worcester in 2009.
Brunt - who made her Test debut in 2004, against New Zealand in Scarborough - took eight wickets in the drawn Ashes clash in Australia this winter, claiming 5-60 in the first innings and 3-24 in the second.
In just her third game, in Worcester in August 2005, Brunt took nine wickets across two innings and scored a half-century as England regained the Women's Ashes for the first time since 1963.
