Kemp the difference maker as England level series in Bristol

Freya Kemp proved to be the difference-maker as England beat India by 26 runs in the second T20I in Bristol. The all-rounder played a crucial late cameo, smashing an unbeaten 39 off just 13 deliveries, including a devastating final over that yielded 24 runs off the bowling of Arundhati Reddy.  

Kemp then backed up her batting heroics with the ball, claiming the key wickets of Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues in her two overs as India fell 26 runs short of the target.

Her return as an all-rounder comes at an ideal time for England, who begin their ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 campaign against Sri Lanka on June 12. 

"It was nice to finish off the innings like that. As a team we've spoken a lot about that and finishing off at the death really well and trying to put pressure on the opposition, so it's nice to do that with Dani Gibson,” said Kemp.

"And with the ball, my first over went for a few runs, but nice to pick up the wicket. I tried to close out the game in my second over and it was nice to pick up the other wicket as well. So yeah, a good all-round performance and I'm really happy."

Freya Kemp has endured a difficult run with injuries, with England’s match against New Zealand earlier this month marking her first international appearance since the 2025 Ashes tour of Australia. 

During her rehabilitation, Kemp focused heavily on developing her batting while she was unable to bowl, a decision she believes has paid off, as evidenced by her match-winning innings against India.

The all-rounder also credited England head coach Charlotte Edwards for her support throughout the recovery process.

"It's really pleasing having had a bit of a tough, bumpy ride for the last few years,” said the 21-year-old.

"Lottie's always backed me so much and I can't thank her enough. When she was coach at Brave and Hampshire, even when I had my first stress fracture a few years ago, she backed me to play as a batter and it's definitely helped.

"Spending time in the middle and learning how to play different situations has really helped me. So I guess that time, obviously it's not ideal not being able to bowl, but we've put it to good use, I hope."

For Freya Kemp, the upcoming T20 World Cup was always a major focus throughout her recovery. The 21-year-old spent her time away from the game working closely with former Sussex bowler Chris Liddle, refining her bowling and preparing for a return as a genuine all-rounder.

"I've been doing a lot of work this winter with Chris Liddle who's been great, a fellow left-armer as well. We've always looked at the World Cup as something to be peaking for and that's why we've been managing my workload a bit and it's been going well." 

The third and final T20I is set for Saturday, June 2 in Taunton.