England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt has eased concerns about her fitness after suffering a calf problem during England’s Women’s T20 World Cup match against Ireland on Tuesday, June 16, in Southampton.
England secured a hard-fought four-wicket victory while chasing a target of 119 runs. However, there was concern when Sciver-Brunt left the field late in the innings after feeling discomfort in her calf.
The star batter was unbeaten on 48 when she decided to retire out. England needed only nine more runs to win at that stage. Soon after, Freya Kemp lost her wicket, but Dani Gibson and Charlie Dean guided the team to victory.
Sciver-Brunt entered the World Cup after recovering from a calf injury that she suffered while playing for The Blaze in April. The injury forced her to miss England’s white-ball series against New Zealand and India. She returned to action during the tournament warm-up matches.
Sciver-Brunt Says It Was Only a Precaution
After the match, the England captain said the decision to leave the field was made to avoid any risk.
“[I] felt a bit of tightness in my calf and didn’t want to push it,” Nat Sciver-Brunt said after the match, via BBC Sport.
Her wife, Katherine Sciver-Brunt, also downplayed concerns about the injury.
“Nat hasn’t been crying and that’s a good sign. You know when you’ve done something bad. She’s not that easy to read, but from what I’m seeing, it’s not that bad,” Katherine Sciver-Brunt said on BBC Test Match Special.
Despite her recent injury troubles, Sciver-Brunt has been in excellent form. She scored 57 against India in a warm-up match and followed it up with unbeaten scores of 46 against Sri Lanka and 48 against Ireland.
If she is unavailable for England’s next group match against Scotland on Saturday, vice-captain Charlie Dean is expected to lead the side.
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