England Women’s captain Nat Sciver-Brunt has returned home from the team’s training camp in South Africa due to family reasons.
Sciver-Brunt is not expected to rejoin the squad in Pretoria, where she had been part of a 30-player group preparing for the upcoming international season.
The remainder of the squad will stay in South Africa until the end of the month, participating in a series of five intra-squad fixtures as players aim to impress selectors ahead of the home T20 World Cup scheduled for June and July. The training camp had initially been planned for the UAE but was relocated because of the ongoing conflict in the region.
Before departing, Sciver-Brunt delivered a strong performance in the opening trial match, scoring 41 from 24 balls to guide Team Brittin to a nine-wicket victory over Team Heyhoe Flint.
In the same contest, Maia Bouchier contributed 47 from 40 deliveries after fellow opener Sophia Dunkley was run out for 12 by Dani Gibson, who was among the major beneficiaries at last week’s Hundred auctions after being signed by Sunrisers Leeds for £190,000.
Team Brittin successfully chased a target of 110 in 20 overs after Issy Wong claimed three wickets for 18. Linsey Smith and Lauren Bell also impressed with the ball, taking two wickets each. The target was reached with eight overs remaining.
Looking ahead, England Women are scheduled to host New Zealand for two white-ball series in May, followed by three T20Is against India in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup.
