Alex Hartley
Former England bowler on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

Change needed to happen. It was a whitewash for England in Australia, it was a really disappointing Ashes series.

So we've got a new captain and a new coach.

Both sets of players are making their way out to the middle in Canterbury.

The England players take the field first followed by the West Indies openers, wearing their famous maroon and yellow colours.

And we are moments away from getting up and running in a new season.

Henry Moeran
Test Match Special commentator on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

It is a West Indies side missing some key players, most notably Deandra Dottin, so - as ever - so much rests on Hayley Matthews.

West Indies captain Hayley Matthews: "Probably, we would have bowled first as well. It looks like a really good wicket. We had the opportunity to play here in the practice match and got some runs on the board, so we are happy to bat.

"We want to come here and compete really well against England, who we know are a world-class side. But I hope we can compete well."

West Indies arrive on the shores on the back of difficulties of their own.

They missed out on qualification for this year's Women’s World Cup by a whisker last month and are without key all-rounder Deandra Dottin, who is injured, with Hayley Matthews leading a 15-strong squad for the England tour.

The touring party includes two uncapped players in all-rounder Realeanna Grimmond, 20, and seamer Jahzara Claxton, 19, who come in for Rashada Williams and Chinelle Henry.

Henry Moeran
Test Match Special commentator on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

The start of a new era is upon us.

This is an England team taking on West Indies with high expectations of success across the T20s and ODIs.

Image source, Getty Images

But there is an England debut for Emily Arlott.

The medium pacer received her maiden England call-up before a home Test against India in 2021 but has had to wait a long time to finally earn her first cap - presented to her by Sarah Glenn.

Rufus Bullough
CricViz analyst

No wrist spin for England with Sarah Glenn carrying the drinks this evening. In 2024 she took 46 wickets across 30 T20 games with an average of just 12.84. This was the best average of any year in her career to date.

A slow start to 2025 (Avg 48, Econ 7.6) means she misses out.

England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt: "We're going to have a bowl. It looks a lovely wicket and this ground is a little bit difficult to defend on."

On taking over as captain: "I've been a bit nervous all day but really happy to be here and I can't wait to get going.

"I'm still growing into that side of it but, as the summer goes, hopefully I can get more comfortable in the role."

On the XI: "One debutant in Em Arlott - and we've got 10 other people playing!"

England: Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Sophia Dunkley, Nat Sciver-Brunt (c), Heather Knight, Amy Jones (wk), Alice Capsey, Em Arlott, Issy Wong, Charlie Dean, Linsey Smith, Lauren Bell

West Indies: Hayley Matthews (c), Qiana Joseph, Zaida James, Realeanna Grimmond, Shabika Gajnabi, Aaliyah Alleyne, Jannillea Glasgow, Mandy Mangru (wk), Cherry-Anne Fraser, Afy Fletcher, Karishma Ramharack

The two captains have been out in the middle.

And it's England's Nat Sciver-Brunt who comes out on top and she's chosen to bowl first in the series opener.

We'll have words from both the skippers as well as team news coming your way soon.

Image source, Getty Images

Star spinner Sophie Ecclestone has been left out of Charlotte Edwards' first England squad as part of her recovery from a knee injury, while top-order batter Maia Bouchier misses out from both ODI and T20 squad.

Opener Tammy Beaumont returns to the T20 side along with seamer Issy Wong, who made her debut in all three formats as a 20-year-old in 2022.

Uncapped medium pacer Emily Arlott is also included after taking 14 wickets in domestic 50-over cricket this season for Warwickshire, while also scoring a maiden ton against Essex.

Image source, Getty Images

Legendary former batter Charlotte Edwards is England's new head coach and all-rounder Nat Sciver-Brunt the new captain.

Edwards is England's all-time leading run-scorer and played more than 300 international matches during a 19-year career, including in excess of 200 games as captain.

She won three Ashes series and both the 50-over and 20-over World Cups in 2009.

New skipper Sciver-Brunt, meanwhile, becomes just the fourth permanent captain of the side since 2000 as she replaces Heather Knight, who spent nine years in the role.

Image source, Getty Images

Results were far from ideal for England women over the winter. A T20 World Cup exit in the group stages was followed by a 16-0 humiliation in the Ashes tour, leading to the departure of head coach Jon Lewis and Heather Knight as captain.

But today marks the start of a fresh chapter and a new cricket summer! There’s a new head coach at the helm, a new captain leading from the front and, hopefully, renewed desire to turn things around too.

West Indies are the first test of this new regime and it begins with the first of three T20Is in Canterbury today and will be followed by three ODIs.

Let’s see what this new England have got, shall we?