Meet England Women's T20 World Cup squad: Kate Cross reveals all about each player

Summary

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

Live Reporting

Ffion Wynne and Callum Matthews

'The ultimate competitor'published at 17:16 Greenwich Mean Time 9 February 2023
Kate Cross
England bowler on Katherine Sciver-Brunt
I think everyone that watches Katherine Sciver-Brunt play cricket will see the fiery side, the ultimate competitor. She really is.
I have never known anyone want to win as badly as she does in anything, not even just cricket.
But she’s unbelievably caring as well so what you see on the pitch is not what you get off it. She is the polar opposite, really.
She is a huge part of our team and has played so much cricket, like this is probably about her 50th World Cup or something! But she’s still here, still going and still wants to play and compete for this team and that’s testament to her.
'Loads of energy, loads of love'published at 17:16 Greenwich Mean Time 9 February 2023
Alex Hartley
Former England bowler on Katherine Sciver-Brunt
Katherine is so fiery on the field and a complete lunatic off it.
But she is a caring, loving softie. We used to call her the baby rhino because she’ll just charge at you to give you a hug, loads of energy, loads of love.
She’s actually a very emotional person.
Charlie Deanpublished at 17:15 Greenwich Mean Time 9 February 2023
Age: 22 | Born: Burton-on-Trent | Role: Spin bowler
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For a few days in September, off-spinner Charlie Dean was the most famous name in cricket.
England were creeping towards a tense one-wicket victory against India at Lord's, with Dean leading the run chase on 46, when Deepti Sharma ran her out at the non-striker's end.
Often referred to as a Mankad, the cricket world erupted with controversy as a tearful Dean exited the field.
But since then she has let her bowling do the talking and become one of her country's most consistent bowlers, sometimes even out-performing the great Sophie Ecclestone.
A consistent spinner with a competitive streak, Dean shone during England's white-ball tour of West Indies and leaves Heather Knight and Jon Lewis with a big selection headache over their spinners.
The rising starpublished at 17:14 Greenwich Mean Time 9 February 2023
Charlie Dean in three pictures
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Charlie Dean has been an ever-improving figure on the domestic circuit. She initially impressed with the bat but has become a key figure with the ball for Southern Vipers in recent seasons. She took 10 wickets in four games as the Vipers defended the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy in 2021 and was their leading wicket-taker in the 2022 Charlotte Edwards Cup, taking 12 wickets.
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England were on the lookout for more spin options to support Sophie Ecclestone after the retirements of Danielle Hazell and Laura Marsh. Sarah Glenn was given a go in 50-over cricket too but Lisa Keightley opted to bring Charlie Dean in. She made her debut across all three formats between September 2021 and January 2022 and really sealed her place in the 50-over side during the 2022 World Cup, where she took 11 wickets, including a career-best 4-23 against India.
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While Dean's England career has largely been positive so far she was at the centre of one of cricket's more controversial cricket moments last year when she was the victim of a 'Mankad' by India's Deepti Sharma at Lord's. It was an incident that upset Dean, but she turned out the next day for Southern Vipers in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy final.
'Annoyingly talented at everything'published at 17:14 Greenwich Mean Time 9 February 2023
Kate Cross
England bowler on Charlie Dean
Charlie Dean is the quiet one off the pitch, but very annoyingly talented at absolutely everything.
She went and bought herself a new guitar yesterday, so she can play that really well and she can sing. And probably really good at swimming and hockey and tennis and everything, she is that annoying person.
Nat Sciver-Brunt is like that too. But Deano is a kind soul, quiet and unassuming - and she has proven over the last 12 months how important she is to our team because she has taken to international cricket like a duck to water.
She’s been great to get to know a bit more. She keeps to herself quite a bit but once you to get to know her, she’s a very good egg.
Quickfire questions with Charlie Deanpublished at 17:14 Greenwich Mean Time 9 February 2023
What would your walkout song be?
There She Goes by The La's
What is your favourite film?
Shrek
What would your Death Row meal be?
Bacon cheeseburger with sweet potato fries
What would be your dream holiday?
Australia
Who is your sporting hero?
Jessica Ennis-Hill
If you were having a dinner party, which three people would you love to invite?
Taylor Swift, Margot Robbie and Robbie Savage
Summer or winter?
Summer
Tea or coffee?
Coffee - flat white
What is your favourite biscuit?
Custard creams
Kate Crosspublished at 17:13 Greenwich Mean Time 9 February 2023
Age: 31 | Born: Manchester | Role: Fast bowler
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Away from being Alex Hartley's best friend and the other half of the No Balls podcast, Kate Cross has been one of England's most consistent seamers since her debut in 2013.
Cross has been absent from T20 internationals since 2019, but with Anya Shrubsole's retirement and injuries to the likes of Tash Farrant, England needed to equip their attack with some experience.
Her main asset is her accuracy, which allows her to pick up wickets and put pressure on the batters in the middle overs of the game, but has more recently developed into an opening bowler in ODI cricket.
Off the pitch, Cross has established herself as a broadcaster on both television and radio, and recently completed a Masters degree in sport directorship from Manchester Metropolitan University.
Patience pays offpublished at 17:13 Greenwich Mean Time 9 February 2023
Kate Cross in three pictures
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Kate Cross first played for England in one-day and T20 cricket in October 2013 before making her red-ball debut in 2014. It was the end of a patient wait for Cross, who had been called up to the Test squad after injuries for the 2011 Ashes Test in Australia.
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Cross' stock continued to rise as she was selected by Brisbane Heat for the inaugural season of the Women's Big Bash in 2015.
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As her career has progressed, Cross' involvement, certainly at England level, has come in the two longer formats. She is a regular in the Test side and 50-over side. She has often been a change bowler and recorded ODI career-best figures of 5-24 against India in June 2021.
'A soft soul'published at 17:13 Greenwich Mean Time 9 February 2023
Alex Hartley
Former England bowler on Kate Cross
Kate Cross is very loving and very caring. She is a soft soul.
Sometimes she can come across quite cold-hearted but she is the exact opposite. She’s one of the people in the team that you go to when you need advice or you need someone to cry on, because she will give anyone the time of day.
That can be a bit of an energy drainer for her at times when she needs to recharge herself, and that’s when she comes to me and the podcast, so we just bounce off each other.
But when you see the feisty character on the pitch, she’s just fun and loving off it.
Quickfire questions with Kate Crosspublished at 17:12 Greenwich Mean Time 9 February 2023
What would your walkout song be?
Crossfire by Brandon Flowers
What is your favourite film?
The Prestige
What would your Death Row meal be?
The Prawn Party at a place called Cloggys in Antigua
What would be your dream holiday?
Barbados
Who is your sporting hero?
Phil Taylor
Who would make the best room-mate?
Lauren Winfield-Hill
Sarah Glennpublished at 17:12 Greenwich Mean Time 9 February 2023
Age: 23 | Born: Derby | Role: Spin bowler
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The glamour of the squad. Sarah Glenn is a deceptive leg-spinner and an explosive batter, but away from cricket loves doing her nails, shopping and make-up.
She is a strong advocate for female confidence and body image, that girls can play cricket but also be exactly who they are - no matter what that looks like.
Glenn was home-schooled for much of her childhood in Derbyshire, and was also an England age-group hockey player before choosing to prioritise cricket.
Glenn made her England debut in 2019 and has established herself as a regular in the T20 line-up with her point of difference as a leg-spinner.
She plays for Central Sparks, and Trent Rockets in the Hundred, and at the time of writing is ranked fourth in the ICC T20 bowling rankings.
The ever-improving leggypublished at 17:11 Greenwich Mean Time 9 February 2023
Sarah Glenn in three pictures
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Sarah Glenn had a breakthrough year in 2019, taking 11 wickets for Loughborough Lightning in the Kia Super League. That led to her going on tour with England against Pakistan in Malysia, and she impressed, taking eight wickets in three one-day internationals. She got special praise from captain Heather Knight after the tour too.
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That led to the leg-spinner earning a place in the squad for the 2020 T20 World Cup, where Glenn took six wickets, including 3-15 in England's group-stage win over Pakistan.
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She has found her opportunities limited in ODI cricket but her stock has continued to rise in T20s. She took 4-23 against India in September to rise to a career-high second in the ICC's T20 bowler rankings.
'Revolutionising women's cricket'published at 17:11 Greenwich Mean Time 9 February 2023
Kate Cross
England bowler on Sarah Glenn
For me, Glenny is revolutionising women’s cricket. Because she is letting girls know that you can be a girl and play sport, and be good at it.
You can do your TikToks and your make-up and get your nails done, but also play sport.
We can get a bit wrapped up in things sometimes when you’re playing international cricket but she is just so unapologetically herself and I love it. She’s great.
She also works her absolute butt off because she is the first at training, the last to leave, so it’s no surprise she’s playing so well at the minute. She is working so hard and she’s reaping the rewards of that.
Quickfire questions with Sarah Glennpublished at 17:11 Greenwich Mean Time 9 February 2023
What would your walkout song be?
I'm in Control by AlunaGeorge
What would be your dream holiday?
Skiing
If you were having a dinner party, which three people would you love to invite?
David Attenborough, Adele and Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu
Who is your sporting hero?
Wayne Madsen
Who would make the best room-mate?
Lauren Winfield-Hill
Freya Daviespublished at 17:10 Greenwich Mean Time 9 February 2023
Age: 27 | Born: Chichester | Role: Fast bowler
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Right-arm seamer Freya Davies is another who had to be patient in her quest for England regularity, often waiting in the wings behind experienced bowlers like Anya Shrubsole and Katherine Sciver-Brunt.
A canny bowler with metronomic accuracy and deceiving slower balls, Davies is a useful asset in every phase of the game.
Davies was a regular in the England Academy as a teenager, having impressed for her county Sussex - her first wicket at senior level was none other than England skipper (at the time) Charlotte Edwards.
She took a brief step back from England ambitions to complete her law degree at Exeter University, but has been a regular in squads since, including playing for her regional side South East Stars and London Spirit in The Hundred.
Taking her chancepublished at 17:10 Greenwich Mean Time 9 February 2023
Freya Davies in three pictures
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Freya Davies played all 36 of Western Storm's games in the Kia Super League's four-year span. She was successful too, finishing the second-highest wicket-taker over that period with 37. She was the leading wicket-taker in 2019 (19) and was part of the team that won the tournament in 2017 and 2019.
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That form led to England recognition with Davies making her T20 debut on a tour on Sri Lanka in March 2019, where she claimed 2-28. A first 50-over appearance came in December 2019.
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The seamer has had to bide her time though with both Katherine Sciver-Brunt and Anya Shrubsole key parts of England's success. However, more opportunities have been forthcoming in the last couple of years and she claimed career-best T20 figures of 4-23 against New Zealand in Wellington in March 2021.
'A lovely human being'published at 17:10 Greenwich Mean Time 9 February 2023
Kate Cross
England bowler on Freya Davies
The smartest of the group, taking that over from Anya Shrubsole.
She’s a lawyer, and she's very switched on.
But she's another one of the group who reads people really well and if anyone’s having a down day, she’s the first one there to send a text or knock on your door with some chocolate to make sure they're OK.
Freya is just a lovely, lovely human being.
Lauren Bellpublished at 17:09 Greenwich Mean Time 9 February 2023
Age: 22 | Born: Swindon | Role: Fast bowler
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One of England's newest recruits, international success was predicted for Lauren Bell when she made her senior debut for Berkshire at the age of 14.
Following Anya Shrubsole's retirement last year, Bell was earmarked as a replacement given her ability to swing the ball extravagantly.
The tall right-arm seamer made debuts in all three formats in 2022 and was awarded her first England central contract later in the year.
She was introduced to cricket through a Chance to Shine scheme in school, and plays domestically for Southern Vipers and Southern Brave in The Hundred.
Hundred success a springboard to Englandpublished at 17:09 Greenwich Mean Time 9 February 2023
Lauren Bell in three pictures
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Lauren Bell has benefited from the ECB launching The Hundred in 2021. She took 12 wickets in nine games in the inaugural campaign, which earned her a call-up to the England A squad for their tour of Australia that winter. She was added to the senior squad for the Test match but didn't play.
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However, she didn't have to wait too much longer to make her England debut. Her first appearance came in the Test match against South Africa at Taunton in June 2022, with the right-arm seamer recording match figures of 2-73.
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Bell continued to break through in the summer of 2022 with one-day international and T20 debuts following. She has consolidated her place in the T20 side under new coach Jon Lewis and is set to play a big role for England at this World Cup.
'A little ray of sunshine'published at 17:08 Greenwich Mean Time 9 February 2023
Kate Cross
England bowler on Lauren Bell
Lauren Bell is our little ray of sunshine.
The tallest of the group, obviously, but again she’s just come in to the team and looks as if she’s been playing international cricket for years. She’s improved so much.
I spoke to her the other week and she was saying about how when she was our travelling reserve for the last World Cup, she felt a bit detached from everything, but now she’s pretty much in the starting XIs of most sides.
She’s great fun and very rarely not smiling. But unfortunately for her, when she’s not smiling you can really tell so everyone’s like "are you OK?!"
But she’s probably the best example of that youth and fresh energy coming in to the team and exuberating us old birds. A great egg.