England seamers to miss Charlotte Edwards Cup Finals Day ahead of Women's Ashes

Seven centrally contracted players are set to feature for Thunder, Southern Vipers and The Blaze at New Road

Nick Friend | 08/06/2023 at 15:55

Key allrounder Nat Sciver-Brunt, as well as seamers Lauren Bell and Kate Cross, will miss Finals Day of the Charlotte Edwards Cup as England look after their resources ahead of the Women's Ashes.

The trio, who are part of a pre-Ashes training camp at Repton College this week, are having their workloads managed ahead of the start of the multiformat series against Australia, which begins on Trent Bridge on June 22.

Sciver-Brunt helped The Blaze to quality in their first year since rebranding from Lightning, having joined from Northern Diamonds, but England are understandably keen to be cautious with the prize asset.

Cross, meanwhile, is likely to spearhead England's attack this summer in a team without Katherine Sciver-Brunt. She played three times as Thunder made it through the group stage for the first time since the regional revamp took place in 2020.

Bell, all but certain to take the new ball for England against the Australians, has been similarly looked after, playing three times in the tournament named after her regional head coach, with Vipers looking to retain their T20 crown.

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^{Lauren Bell is one of three centrally contracted players who have not been released for Finals Day (Ben Hoskins/Getty Images)}

They will at least have all three of Charlie Dean, Danni Wyatt and Freya Kemp available on Saturday, however, when they will face Thunder for a spot in the final against The Blaze, who topped the round-robin phase. Kemp, though, has been playing as a specialist batter, while she recovers from a back issue that has prevented her from bowling since the winter.

The Blaze will have Tammy Beauumont available, with the England opening batter crucial to her region's run in the competition; she is averaging 46.75 with the bat and is its eighth-highest run-scorer. Sarah Glenn, the leg-spinner, is also at head coach Chris Guest's disposal.

Thunder, who reached Worcester by beating Northern Diamonds at Blackpool on Wednesday, will have both Sophie Ecclestone and Emma Lamb in their ranks.