Kent quartet in England Women’s World T20 squad

A quartet of Kent players were named in England’s 15-player squad for the ICC Women’s World Twenty20, which will be played alongside the men’s competition in India next month.

Charlotte Edwards will captain the side, which includes her Kent team-mate Natasha Farrant (pictured above), who has been called-up for an ICC world event for the first time.

Farrant, a young left-arm seamer, arrived in Johannesburg on Sunday (14February) to join the England women’s squad to play the three-match T20 International series against South Africa, which starts on Thursday (18February) in Paarl.

After the disappointment of missing out on selection for the last ICC Women’s World Twenty20 in 2014, she says she is now fitter, stronger and excited by the challenge of playing in a world cup.

Kent batswomen Lydia Greenway and Tammy Beaumont join the duo to complete the quartet.

England Women’s Head Coach, Mark Robinson, said:“We are all looking forward to testing ourselves against the very best cricketers from across the world and playing the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 in a cricket-mad country.

"It will be a great experience for all of the players selected – both those who have had this opportunity before, and for the likes of Tash Farrant, selected for an ICC global event for the first time.

"Tash really impressed during England women’s training camp to Sri Lanka before Christmas last year, and adds a different dimension to the bowling attack as a left-arm seamer.”

The 19-year-old will join a seam bowling attack that will be spearheaded by the experienced new ball pairing of Katherine Brunt (Yorkshire) and Somerset’s Anya Shrubsole.

Shrubsole will be hoping to build on her impressive performance in the 2014 ICC Women’s World Twenty20 in Bangladesh, when she took 13 wickets and was named as player of the tournament.

Brunt, who has returned home from England women’s current tour in South Africa due to injury, is expected to be fit in time for the start of the tournament in March.

England’s ICC Women’s World Twenty20 campaign will get underway on Thursday 17March, when they take on Bangladesh in Bangalore.

England’s ICC Women’s World Twenty20 squad in full:

Name	County	Twenty20 International Caps (as of 17.2.16)
Charlotte Edwards (captain)	Kent	87
Tammy Beaumont	Kent	33
Katherine Brunt	Yorkshire	50
Georgia Elwiss	Sussex	9
Natasha Farrant	Kent	7
Lydia Greenway	Kent	80
Rebecca Grundy	Warwickshire	8
Jenny Gunn	Nottinghamshire	84
Danielle Hazell	Yorkshire	63
Amy Jones	Warwickshire	9
Heather Knight (vice-captain)	Berkshire	26
Natalie Sciver	Surrey	28
Anya Shrubsole	Somerset	39
Sarah Taylor	Sussex	73
Danielle Wyatt	Nottinghamshire	59

England’s ICC Women’s World Twenty20 2016 Fixtures:

Opposition	Date	Venue
Bangladesh	17.3.16	M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
India	22.3.16	Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala
West Indies	24.3.16	Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala
Pakistan	27.3.16	MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai

ICC Women’s World Twenty20 2016 Knock-Out Stage Fixtures:

Opposition	Date	Venue
Semi-Final 1*	30.3.16	Ferozeshah Kotla, Delhi
Semi-Final 2*	31.3.16	Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Final*	3.3.16	Eden Gardens, Kolkata