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Knight keen to use New Zealand series to prepare England for World Cup
Heather Knight, May 23, 2024

HEATHER KNIGHT admitted the “bigger picture” of the looming Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh will influence her thinking during England’s series against New Zealand.

England completed a 3-0 ODI series clean sweep over the White Ferns earlier this week and go into the T20 leg with confidence sky high having won all eight of their completed matches at home this summer.

But with experience of the altogether different Bangladesh conditions thin on the ground – Knight’s only visit there was 10 years ago – the England captain wants to be as prepared as possible.

Knight is therefore keen to tailor England’s tactics in five T20s against New Zealand, starting at Hampshire’s Rose Bowl tomorrow, to match what she is likely to do at the World Cup in October.

“We’ve got a bigger picture with the World Cup coming up,” Knight said. “This series is a real chance to hone in on our preparations and try to get the team and individuals in the best place possible.

“It’s a fine balance between prepping individuals but also trying to get the team balance right and try a few things that might not be conducive to the conditions here but might actually fit in Bangladesh.”

England already have an ace up their sleeve ahead of their trip to the subcontinent in the autumn in slow left-armer Sophie Ecclestone, the top-ranked ODI and T20 bowler in the world.

Alongside Sarah Glenn and Charlie Dean, Ecclestone is the figurehead of a spin attack labelled the “envy of the world” by England head coach Jon Lewis, with the trio expected to thrive on Bangladesh’s slow turners.

 

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