England has made some notable selections for the multi-format Ashes opener against Australia at Trent Bridge, handing Test debuts to Danni Wyatt and fast bowler Lauren Filer. The long-awaited Test debut of white-ball star Wyatt will take place on Thursday, accompanied by the inclusion of uncapped quick Lauren Filer in England’s XI for the sole Test match.
Wyatt, a prominent figure in white-ball cricket with 102 ODIs and 143 T20Is under her belt during her 13-year international career, has been positioned at No.6 in an aggressive move aimed at bolstering England’s middle-order firepower.
The England XI for the Test match is as follows: Tammy Beaumont, Emma Lamb, Heather Knight (c), Natalie Sciver-Brunt, Sophia Dunkley, Danni Wyatt, Amy Jones (wk), Sophie Ecclestone, Kate Cross, Lauren Filer, Lauren Bell.
This selection sees 32-year-old Wyatt claiming the spot that many pundits initially expected 18-year-old prodigy Alice Capsey to fill. However, Capsey failed to make an impact in the three-day warm-up game against Australia A and was subsequently released from the Test squad on Tuesday, joining England A in Loughborough.
Wyatt did not participate in the game against Australia A but instead joined England A for their own three-day match against the senior Australian side. In her sole innings for the match, she scored a commendable 37 runs off 46 deliveries, showcasing her batting prowess and making a strong case for her Test debut.
