England names new captain and five uncapped players for historic Test at Lord's

England has announced a 15-player squad for a historic one-off Test against India at Lord’s, scheduled to begin on July 10. This will mark the first-ever women’s Test match to be hosted at the iconic venue.

The squad includes five uncapped players: Alice Capsey, Tilly Corteen-Coleman, Mady Villiers, Grace Potts, and Ellie Threlkeld. Leading the team for the first time will be Nat Sciver-Brunt, who takes over as captain. Alongside the newcomers, the squad also features experienced players like former captain Heather Knight, Tammy Beaumont, Amy Jones, and Sciver-Brunt herself.

Clare Connor, Managing Director of Women’s Cricket at the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), described the occasion as “another historic few days at Lord’s for women’s cricket.” She emphasized the significance of Test cricket in the women’s game, calling it a “rare and wonderfully challenging experience” and expressing pride in the players who will represent England in this format.

The match will also be a momentous occasion for the 11 players who take the field, as they become the first women to play a Test at Lord’s. The last time India played a women’s Test in England was in June 2021 in Bristol, a match that ended in a draw. Notable performances in that game included Sneh Rana’s unbeaten 80 and four wickets for India, as well as Shafali Verma’s scores of 96 and 63. For England, Heather Knight narrowly missed a century, while Sophie Ecclestone claimed four wickets in both Indian innings.

The full England squad for the Lord’s Test includes Nat Sciver-Brunt (c), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Tilly Corteen-Coleman, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Amy Jones, Heather Knight, Emma Lamb, Grace Potts, Ellie Threlkeld, Mady Villiers, and Issy Wong.