England to play in Women's T20 World Cup in South Africa
Commentary on every game, plus in-play clips and text updates on the BBC Sport website and app
All stats correct as of 31 January
What is your favourite film?
Shawshank Redemption
Who is your sporting hero?
Serena Williams
Who would make the best room-mate?
Danni Wyatt
If you were having a dinner party, which three people would you love to invite?
James Corden, Serena Williams and Will Smith
Summer or winter?
Summer
Tea or coffee?
Coffee - oat cortado
What is your favourite biscuit?
Party rings
Age: 18 | Born: Redhill | Role: Top-order batter
Image source, BBC Sport/Getty ImagesThe young gun of the side and one of England's brightest prospects.
Capsey was born just 20 days before her team-mate Katherine Sciver-Brunt first played for England.
She burst on to the scene during The Hundred in 2021 with eventual winners Oval Invincibles, scoring a 50 at Lord's when she was just 16.
An aggressive top-order batter, Capsey has shown glimpses of her remarkable talent in international cricket without quite fulfilling it yet - but her fearless attacking approach has already made her a key member of England's line-up.
Capsey broke her collarbone during the white-ball tour of the Caribbean in December and faced a race against time getting back fit for the World Cup - but Heather Knight will be delighted she has made it.
Alice Capsey in three pictures
Image source, Getty ImagesAlice Capsey is another player who has used The Hundred to burst into the attention of the cricket public. She made a brilliant half-century in Oval Invincibles' second game against London Spirit at Lord's in the inaugural season that made everyone stand up and take notice. She finished the season with 150 runs and 10 wickets.
Image source, Getty ImagesDespite struggling domestically at the start of the 2022 season Capsey made her debut against South Africa in a T20 in July. She didn't bat but did take the wicket of Lara Goodall with her off spin.
Image source, Getty ImagesDespite having a black eye after being hit by a ball in practice Capsey impressed throughout the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. She registered her first half-century against South Africa and was England's top scorer in the tournament.
Kate Cross
England bowler on Alice Capsey
The baby! She is Sophie Ecclestone’s sidekick – those two are absolutely thick as thieves.
They’ve got a little Instagram page, matching hoodies and all.
She is very, very good at what she does despite only being 18, so it’s quite frightening to think where she could get to. She just makes cricket look so easy and it’s so annoying!
She’s a tough cookie as well, though. She got a black eye in the first game of the Commonwealth Games but still went out and smashed it despite barely being able to see out of one eye.
She’s a bit quiet, Sophie brings her out of her shell quite a lot, but I think she’s getting more comfortable with us all now.
Age: 30 | Born: Tokyo | Role: All-rounder
Image source, BBC Sport/Getty ImagesBorn in Tokyo, made in Surrey: Nat Sciver-Brunt's mother was a British diplomat based in Japan at the time of Nat's birth.
Sciver-Brunt had a remarkable 2022 and will be looking to carry that form into the T20 World Cup.
She is a vital cog in England's side - one of their most experienced players, most destructive batters and reliable bowlers.
England lost the World Cup final to Australia in March but Sciver-Brunt's unbeaten 148 in their run chase will live long in the memory.
She went on to score her maiden Test century against South Africa in June and was named ICC ODI Player of the Year and won the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year.
Sciver-Brunt captained England during the Commonwealth Games as Heather Knight was injured but subsequently stepped away from the game to take a break for her mental health.
But she is now back as Knight's deputy and if England are to win the T20 World Cup, expect Sciver-Brunt to play a huge role.
Nat Sciver-Brunt in three pictures
Image source, Getty ImagesNat Sciver-Brunt was presented with her cap by Charlotte Edwards, before making her debut against Pakistan in a T20 game in July 2013 and has gone on to be one of England's key players.
Image source, Getty ImagesSciver-Brunt was part of the team that beat India to win the 50-over World Cup in 2017. She top-scored with 51 off 68 balls in the final and made 369 runs in the tournament, alongside taking seven wickets.
Image source, Getty ImagesSciver-Brunt was also part of the England team that were beaten by Australia in the 2022 50-over World Cup final. The right-hander made a high-class 148 not out but a lack of support from her team-mates meant Australia won by 71 runs in Christchurch.
Kate Cross
England bowler on Nat Sciver-Brunt
Another integral cog for us! She is in the golden phase of her career.
She’s just taken some time off from the game but now she’s back and it looks like she has never been away. For me, she moves the game forward every single time she plays.
She does things you wouldn’t think were even possible five years ago. And she’s obviously that all-rounder that is our glue, really.
We’ve got a group of people that are happy to be vulnerable with each other and I think we knew that she needed some time away before she actually took it.
We’re navigating a landscape of cricket now where we’re trying to find ways to cope with the demands, yet she won two ICC player of the year awards despite taking three months out!
So yeah, that just goes to show how good she is. But the fact she was able to be vulnerable and take that time out for herself was so important for herself and for the team.
What would your walkout song be?
Run This Town by Rihanna and Jay-Z
What is your favourite film?
Love Actually
What would your Death Row meal be?
Starter: Caprese salad with balsamic glaze and extra virgin olive oil
Main: Roast dinner with mushroom wellington and all the trimmings
Dessert: Sticky toffee pudding
What would be your dream holiday?
Skiing in France
Who is your sporting hero?
Denise Lewis
Who would make the best room-mate?
Katherine!
If you were having a dinner party, which three people would you love to invite?
Adele, Beyonce and James Corden
Summer or winter?
Winter, but not English winter. I don't like the snowy conditions!
Tea or coffee?
Coffee - an oat flat white
What is your favourite biscuit?
Milk chocolate digestive
Age: 29 | Born: Sutton Coldfield | Role: Wicketkeeper & middle-order batter
Image source, BBC Sport/Getty ImagesEngland's ever-reliable presence behind the stumps, Amy Jones is another of the side's key senior players.
A talented footballer in her youth, Jones used to play at Aston Villa before discovering a love for cricket.
She made her international debut in 2013 but had to be patient in her bid to become a mainstay of the squad behind first-choice wicketkeeper Sarah Taylor.
Jones captains Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred and gained experience in international leadership in 2022 when Heather Knight was injured and Nat Sciver-Brunt took a break.
It was a difficult task for a new captain, leading an inexperienced side against a strong India team, but England won the T20 series before losing the ODIs 3-0.
Jones has already played in two T20 World Cup finals and lost both to Australia. Third time lucky?!
Amy Jones in three pictures
Image source, Getty ImagessAmy Jones first played for England in both white-ball formats in 2013, but she had to be patient for other opportunities with the world-class Sarah Taylor donning the gloves. She played 15 T20s between 2013 and 2016 before a 21-month absence from the team, while ODI caps were even harder to come by with just six appearances between 2013 and 2015.
Image source, Getty ImagesJones became a more regular feature in the side from 2018 and eventually become the first-choice wicketkeeper when Taylor retired. Jones has become one of the best, if not the best, keepers in the women's game. She has struggled with form with the bat at times, seeing her slip down the order in ODIs.
Image source, Getty ImagesShe is a regular feature in the side though and captained England in the white-ball series against India at the back end of last summer with Heather Knight out through injury and Nat Sciver-Brunt taking a break to protect her mental wellbeing.
Kate Cross
England bowler on Amy Jones
Amy is honestly one of the funniest people in our squad, but it's like it goes undercover - she is hilarious. She’s so quiet though so she’s unassuming but she’s got a dry sense of humour.
She’s also taken on a lot more leadership roles in the last 12 months with Nat [Sciver-Brunt] and Heather [Knight] being out but she has taken to it really well.
I know she doesn’t find it that comfortable, she doesn’t really enjoy it but she will always be willing to do it and that’s helped her grow within the group and as a player.
And obviously she's just unbelievable behind the stumps. She goes unnoticed now because she’s so good and if you do notice her, it’s because she’s having a very rare bad day.
Age: 24 | Born: Kensington | Role: Middle-order batter
Image source, BBC Sport/Getty ImagesAn aggressive middle-order batter, Maia Bouchier - known as Boosh - has yet to really cement herself in England's batting line-up but is an exciting prospect.
She has played under the watchful eye of former England captain Charlotte Edwards at Southern Vipers, where she has developed into a "finishing" role with her strong power-hitting ability.
Bouchier made her debut in 2021 and has played 19 T20s so far, but with England's reliable top order, her opportunities have been fairly limited.
Maia Bouchier in three pictures
Image source, Getty ImagesMaia Bouchier has been a key component of Southern Vipers' middle order. They won the 50-over domestic trophy named after England legend Rachael Heyhoe Flint in 2020 and 2021, with Bouchier scoring 183 runs at an average of 30.50 and 195 runs at an average of 32.50 respectively.
Image source, Getty ImagesThat form earned Bouchier a call-up for the T20 series against New Zealand in September 2021 and she made 25 on her debut.
Image source, Getty ImagesBouchier has struggled to gain a regular spot in the side because of England's depth but injuries meant she played five games at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. She guided England to victory in their opening game against Sri Lanka with an unbeaten 31 but then only scored nine in three more innings.
Kate Cross
England bowler on Maia Bouchier
Great name, first of all.
But Boosh is one of a kind. She is the person who probably gets the most stressed by change and when something happens that isn’t supposed to, it really affects her. But we’ve all got to know her well enough now to settle her, bring her back round.
But she works unbelievably hard. She goes under the radar which I think is quite positive because nobody really looks at you too much in terms of the opposition, which can actually be really dangerous - and she’s pushed to a new level recently.
I remember her playing a reverse scoop for six off Shabnim Ismail [South Africa fast bowler] last summer and she is just fearless, it's like she’s got a new lease of life. I think she’s one to watch but at the same time goes under the radar - it’s hard to describe really.
Age: 23 | Born: Chester | Role: Spin bowler
Image source, BBC Sport/Getty ImagesThe world's number one-ranked bowler in both T20s and ODIs, Sophie Ecclestone is England's most precious commodity.
She made her England debut at 16 and has been unstoppable since, causing batters plenty of problems with her left-arm angle and height.
Ecclestone started playing cricket for Cheshire after being introduced to the game through her dad and brother James, before moving to play for Lancashire as a teenager.
Away from cricket, she is a big Everton fan and a keen golfer.
Ecclestone missed England's World Cup triumph in 2017 because she was doing her A-Levels, and is yet to win a world title. Could 2023 be her year to lift a trophy?
Sophie Ecclestone in three pictures
Image source, Getty ImagesSophie Ecclestone made her T20 debut in July 2016, aged just 17. A 50-over bow followed against West Indies. She impressed enough to warrant discussion about a place in the World Cup for 2017 but coach Mark Robinson and her parents decided she should focus on her exams instead.
Image source, Getty ImagesEver since passing those exams Ecclestone has been a regular in the England team and is always among the wickets. She has spent time at the top of the limited-overs rankings, and is rated the ICC's top T20 bowler at the moment. The 2020 T20 World Cup saw her become the youngest woman to 50 international wickets in the format, while she also claimed her 100th international wicket at the tournament.
Image source, Getty ImagesDespite some issues with a shoulder injury Ecclestone has continued at the top of her game. She once again impressed in a major tournament when she claimed 21 wickets, just three short of the all-time record, in the 2022 World Cup. She claimed a first five-wicket haul in that tournament too, taking 6-36 against South Africa in the semi-finals.
Kate Cross
England bowler on Sophie Ecclestone
She is like your annoying little sister, you love her to bits but she can wind you up too.
In all seriousness, I spend a lot of time with her away from England, we play in pretty much every team together, so I know her very well. She’s also massively competitive. She’s like a mini Katherine Sciver-Brunt, she wants to win at all costs.
But she’s 23 and still the best in the world. To maintain the level of excellence that she has is just remarkable and another one where it’s scary to think how good she will be.
She’s been here so long, played a few World Cups already, the leader of our spinners.
She’s very sociable, never wants to be by herself and actually really enjoys being on tour and being away from home.
What would your walkout song be?
When the Beat Drops Out by Marlon Roudette
What is your favourite film?
Mrs Doubtfire
What would your Death Row meal be?
I'd be going Chinese - chicken fillet lemon sauce with salt and pepper chips
What would be your dream holiday?
Skiing
Who is your sporting hero?
Leighton Baines
If you were having a dinner party, which three people would you love to invite?
Justin Bieber, Zac Efron and Taron Egerton
Summer or winter?
Summer
Tea or coffee?
Tea
What is your favourite biscuit?
Chocolate hobnob
Age: 37 | Born: Barnsley | Role: Fast bowler
Image source, BBC Sport/Getty ImagesKatherine Sciver-Brunt made her England debut way back in 2004 in a Test match against New Zealand.
A fiery fast bowler from Yorkshire, she has since retired from Test matches but continues to perform in the shorter formats for England, despite several tough injury setbacks.
Sciver-Brunt is her country's leading wicket-taker in T20s and is extremely competitive, known for displaying her passion and emotion in an England shirt.
She is a constant in the side, despite conversations around her retirement looming around injuries and the emergence of several young fast bowlers like Issy Wong and Lauren Bell.
She is joined in the squad by her wife Nat Sciver-Brunt, the pair recently confirming they would be going by their joint surnames during the World Cup.
Katherine Sciver-Brunt in three pictures
Image source, Getty ImagesKatherine Sciver-Brunt was part of the England team that won the 2009 50-over World Cup with a four-wicket win over New Zealand. She took 1-33 in the final.
Image source, Getty ImagesLater in 2009 England beat New Zealand again to win the inaugural Women's T20 World Cup. Sciver-Brunt took 3-6 from her four overs as England bowled the Kiwis out for 85, before chasing down the total with three overs to spare.
Image source, Getty ImagesSciver-Brunt became a World Cup winner for the third time in 2017 at Lord's. England successfully defended 228-7 against India to win by eight runs. Sciver-Brunt claimed 0-22 from six overs in the final, and took five wickets in the tournament.