Charlotte Edwards says there was by no means any doubt round Heather Knight’s place in England’s World Cup aspect as the previous captain returned to type in a series-clinching win within the third T20 towards India.
Knight, 35, made an impressive unbeaten 70 as England emphatically chased 181 to win the sequence 2-1, after she had endured a lean begin to the summer season.
Within the 5 previous T20s towards New Zealand and India, Knight’s strike-rate had been the main cause for concern as she made scores of 19 (17), 25 (23), 18 (22), 21 (24) and 18 (14).
However underneath stress within the sequence decider, Knight, who grew to become England girls’s most-capped cricketer final month, was at her fluent greatest with 10 fours in a 42-ball knock.
“It has been fairly fascinating listening to a number of the press this week,” head coach Edwards advised BBC Sport.
“I feel the extra that individuals have been writing her off, the extra I simply knew she was going to place in a efficiency like this.
“I spoke to her after her report sport [at Chelmsford] about her character and the way that’s one in all her greatest attributes, and we noticed that in abundance tonight.
“It was actually pretty for her to have that efficiency going into the World Cup, however there have been no doubts in our dressing room about Heather.”
Knight added 137 for the fourth wicket in a flawless stand with Alice Capsey, who made 81 off 43. The pair toyed with India’s wilting bowlers all through, with Knight reverse-sweeping and scoring cannily behind sq. whereas Capsey struck fantastically straight down the bottom.
It’s straightforward to neglect Capsey continues to be solely 21 years outdated, having burst on to the English cricket scene as a teen, and it was a knock that has certainly cemented her place in Edwards’ beginning XI for the World Cup opener towards Sri Lanka on 12 June.
Edwards mentioned it was the most effective she had seen Capsey play, and praised her work ethic over the winter.
“To play the best way she did from that place [38-3], I could not be prouder,” Edwards added.
“We spoke to her at the beginning of the winter in regards to the areas we wished her to work on and he or she has labored so, so onerous. Now she’s bearing the fruits of that and there is nothing extra satisfying than to win a sport of cricket for England in that method.”
