Capsey 74* Stuns NZ as Kemp Returns to Bowling
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- Alice Capsey struck an unbeaten 74 off 51 balls — her highest international T20 score — after being promoted from her usual No. 3 spot, with Freya Kemp calling the innings 'ruthless' and saying 'she set the tone.'
- England won the first T20I against New Zealand by seven wickets in Derby on Wednesday, with Heather Knight dismissed for 19 in the 12th over and Kemp finishing 31 not out to seal the chase.
- Freya Kemp bowled her first competitive overs in 14 months — two spells with the ball — after two back stress fractures ruled her out of the 2023 Women's T20 World Cup; she credited work with fast-bowling coach Chris Liddle since January.
- Charlotte Edwards has told the squad to 'keep up the charge,' with Kemp quoting the coach: 'I think the message with international cricket is just about winning… We just want to get over the line and get those wins.'
- Tash Farrant said on Sky Sports that Capsey 'has really staked her claim' to open and 'is someone who can take the game away,' singling out how she handled New Zealand's Melie Kerr after past struggles against the spinner.
- The second T20I is scheduled for Saturday, May 23 at Canterbury (2.30pm UK), live on Sky Sports Main Event, with a third T20I at Hove on Monday, May 25.
- Nat Sciver-Brunt is in a fitness fight ahead of the T20 World Cup, according to a sidebar note, adding a selection question mark to England's squad beyond the Capsey-Kemp headlines.
Why it matters: Capsey's promotion to opener and match-winning 74* gives England a World Cup selection dilemma with Kemp and Dani Gibson also in the mix, while Kemp's return to bowling after two stress fractures restores a seam-bowling all-rounder option Edwards would otherwise have lost — both decisions will shape England's starting XI for the T20 World Cup starting this summer.
