Capsey, Knight flex muscles against India ahead of T20 World Cup
Partnership of 137 between Alice Capsey and Heather Knight powers England to T20I series win over India as sides gear up for T20 World Cup 2026.
T20 World Cup 2026 hosts England have made a statement in a final hit-out ahead of the event, chasing a target of 181 with nine balls to spare to claim a 2-1 series win over India in Taunton.
The effort was England's highest T20I chase since 2018, led by Alice Capsey (82 from 43 balls) and Heather Knight, who finished unbeaten on 70 from just 42 deliveries.
It was a crucial knock for Knight, bouncing back from slow starts with the bat earlier in the English home summer.
Under fire after making 101 runs from 100 balls in her last five T20Is, Knight came under scrutiny from pockets of the English press, though for coach Charlotte Edwards there was litle doubt of a response.
"I think the more that people have been writing her off, the more I just knew she was going to put in a performance like this," Edwards told BBC Sport.
"I spoke to her after her record game (in Chelmsford to become England's most-capped cricketer) about her character and how that is one of her biggest attributes, and we saw that in abundance tonight.
"It was really lovely for her to have that performance going into the World Cup, but there were no doubts in our dressing room about Heather."
Heather Knight's starring century in 2020 | Women's T20 World Cup
Heather Knight's stellar ton against Thailand at the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2020.
The exploits of the pair now give Edwards and England's selection team a headache, with a rested Nat Sciver-Brunt to come back into the side at No.3 in the order on June 12 when the hosts take on Sri Lanka in the T20 World Cup opener.
Alice Capsey powers to match-winning 88* | Player Highlights | CWC25
England batter Alice Capsey hit a match-winning 88 not out against Australia in their final ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 warm-up match.
Capsey and Knight were two players in public conversation to potentially make way for the skipper, though Capsey's output in different positions in the batting order boosts the 21-year-old's chances of spot in the starting XI.
Edwards praised her work in a tight spot at 38/3 in the chase, and welcomed the selection challenges for the upcoming tournament.
"To play the way she did from that position, I couldn't be prouder," Edwards added.
"We spoke to her at the start of the winter about the areas we wanted her to work on and she has worked so, so hard.
"Now she's bearing the fruits of that and there's nothing more satisfying than to win a game of cricket for England in that manner."
"What's really positive around all this talk about who should be in our team is that there's competition for places."
"That was something I really wanted to create when I came into this role, but without it being a burden. And I don't think it is a burden, seeing the way they're playing - they know that if they want to stay in the team they've got to put in match-winning performances and Heather and Alice did that superbly today."
England take on Australia (8 June) and India (June 10) in their two official warm-up encounters before the tournament opener against Sri Lanka on June 13.