Brunt and Farrant return

The England and Wales Cricket Board today announced the England women’s Test, one-day international and Twenty20 international squads to face India and South Africa this summer.

England women will first host India in August, as Charlotte Edwards will once again lead the side in a one-off Kia Women’s Test match, followed by a three-match Royal London one-day international series as part of the first round of new ICC Women’s Championship.

The team will then take on South Africa in three NatWest Twenty20 Internationals at the start of September.

Edwards will be looking forward to calling on the services of Katherine Brunt again, as the Yorkshire fast bowler is included in the Royal London ODI and NatWest T20I squads for the first time since being sidelined through injury after the historic Women’s Ashes Test victory in Perth at the start of the year.

England’s bowling unit will be further bolstered in the NatWest T20I series against South Africa by the return of Kent’s young left-arm seamer Natasha Farrant, who missed the recent ICC World Twenty20 tournament in Bangladesh through injury

Warwickshire’s left-arm spinner Rebecca Grundy has been included in the Kia Women’s Test and Royal London ODI squads for the first time, having made her international debut and impressed with her performances in Bangladesh.

Right-arm medium pace bowler Sonia Odedra, from Nottinghamshire, has also been called-up to the Test squad for the first time after Sussex’s Georgia Elwiss was ruled out of action for the rest of the summer with a broken hand.

ECB Head of England Women’s Cricket, Clare Connor, said: “The three squads for the series against India and South Africa have been selected from a position of real strength, and I am delighted that both Katherine Brunt and Natasha Farrant will return to international action this summer.

“Appointed to the role of vice-captain, Heather Knight now has the opportunity to learn from the most experienced international captain in the world as she works alongside Charlotte Edwards to help lead the England women’s team at the start of a new professional era for the women’s game.”

The selectors have also today named a 13-strong England Women’s Academy (EWA) squad to play a series of warm-up matches against India and South Africa.

Kent’sLaura Marsh will lead the side and she lines-up alongside Fran Wilson (Somerset) and Danielle Wyatt (Nottinghamshire) as one of three players included in the EWA squad with full international playing caps.

Marsh’s inclusion follows an extended lay-off from international cricket having undergone major shoulder surgery during the winter. 

England women’s squad to play India (Kia Women’s Test match and three Royal London ODIs):

England women’s squad to play South Africa (three NatWest T20Is):

England women’s 2014 international summer schedule: 

*ICC Women’s Championship fixtures 

England Women’s Academy squad to play India and South Africa warm-ups: