Katherine Brunt believes England will need to learn a lot from their first game of the Commonwealth Games, which was an eye-opening experience.
With 17 balls remaining, the home team defeated Sri Lanka by a comfortable margin of five wickets. That was largely based on a strong all-around bowling effort, with Brunt starting their campaign with a wicket after the first ball and spinner Sophie Ecclestone claiming three for twenty-five while new seamers Issy Wong and Freya Kemp each grabbed two.
It was Alice Capsey’s job to lead them to victory during the chase on a slow, shifting pitch that had been used four times in two days despite their attempts to limit Sri Lanka to 106 for 9. A mature 44-run innings by Capsey, a 17-year-old all-rounder playing in just her third international, came to an end when she was stumped with England two runs short of the mark. The next-highest scorer for England was Maia Bouchier, who scored 21 not out and shared a 42-run partnership for the fifth wicket. This was only Bouchier’s eighth game for England.
They had a lot to deal with, especially after Capsey sustained a severe injury to her face during the warm-up and England’s baggage failed to arrive at Edgbaston with them prior to the game. Then there was the simple realisation that the host nation’s debut at the Commonwealth Games had finally arrived after much anticipation.
After the game, Brunt said, “I can’t really put into words how it feels. “I’ve been playing for a very long time, and I’ve participated in numerous international events and the Ashes series, and they all have this special vibe that makes you feel a little queasy or uneasy, but as soon as you cross the line, everything is good and you’re in the game or the battle.
Brunt, who was participating in her 100th T20I, set the tone nicely by lbw-ing the game’s opening batter, Vishmi Gunarathne. She was a powerful hitter, but she didn’t rush to the plate.She admitted, “I got a little back spasm.” “There are a lot of games and not many days, so I was kind of saving myself. It’s about being wise and controlling me as well.
After missing the first game due to a hip injury that also prevented her from playing the final two T20Is of their bilateral series leading up to the Games, Knight, the captain of England, is hopeful that she will be able to participate in the upcoming match, which will take place against South Africa on Tuesday.
Nat Sciver, the replacement captain for Knight, was ecstatic with Capsey’s performance.
“I’ve never seen her throw an inning like that before. Although I’ve seen her play at her most explosive, she was incredibly cool and collected. It was encouraging to see that everyone adjusted fairly fast since it was obvious after the powerplay that it wasn’t going to be like T20 cricket this summer so far.”
The Commonwealth Games gave “a different environment to adjust to,” Sciver agreed with Brunt.
