England pick Mahika Gaur and Bess Heath for Sri Lanka series but Tammy Beaumont left out of T20 squad again

Uncapped Mahika Gaur and Bess Heath named in England squads for T20Is and ODIs against Sri Lanka; Tammy Beaumont left out of T20 group again despite century in The Hundred; Nat Sciver-Brunt, Sophie Ecclestone, Danni Wyatt and Sophia Dunkley rested for all or part of series

England have handed first call-ups to bowler Mahika Gaur and wicketkeeper-batter Bess Heath for the white-ball series against Sri Lanka but Tammy Beaumont misses out on the T20 squad once again.

Gaur, 17, was born in Reading but represented UAE in the 2023 Women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup and has since helped North West Thunder to Charlotte Cup Edwards Finals Day and made her debut in The Hundred for Manchester Originals.

The left-arm seamer is named in England’s squads for the three T20 internationals and as many one-day internationals against Sri Lanka, with Heath, 21, also included in both groups.

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England T20 squad

Heather Knight (captain, Western Storm), Lauren Bell (Southern Vipers), Maia Bouchier (Southern Vipers), Alice Capsey (South East Stars), Kate Cross (Thunder), Charlie Dean (Southern Vipers), Lauren Filer (Western Storm), Mahika Gaur (Thunder), Danielle Gibson (Western Storm), Sarah Glenn (The Blaze), Bess Heath (Northern Diamonds), Amy Jones (Central Sparks), Freya Kemp (Southern Vipers), Issy Wong (Central Sparks), Dani Wyatt (Southern Vipers)

England ODI squad

Heather Knight (captain, Western Storm), Tammy Beaumont (The Blaze), Lauren Bell (Southern Vipers), Maia Bouchier (Southern Vipers), Alice Capsey (South East Stars), Kate Cross (Thunder), Charlie Dean (Southern Vipers), Lauren Filer (Western Storm), Mahika Gaur (Thunder), Danielle Gibson (Western Storm), Sarah Glenn (The Blaze), Bess Heath (Northern Diamonds), Amy Jones (Central Sparks), Emma Lamb (Thunder), Nat Sciver-Brunt (The Blaze)

Heath helped Northern Diamonds win the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy in 2022 and has played in each of Northern Superchargers’ games so far in this season’s edition of The Hundred.

Beaumont is named in the ODI party but her wait for a first T20 international appearance since January 2022 will go on, despite the 32-year-old hitting the highest score in the history of The Hundred – a 61-ball 118 – for Welsh Fire against Trent Rockets on Monday.

The first T20 international is at Hove on Thursday August 21, while the one-day international series begins at Chester-le-Street in Durham on Saturday September 9, with all six games live on Sky Sports.

Sophie Ecclestone and Sophia Dunkley will sit out both series, while Nat-Sciver Brunt will be rested for the T20s and Danni Wyatt for the ODIs as England manage the workload of those four players.

All-rounder Freya Kemp is back in the T20 group after recovering from a stress fracture of the back and pace bowler Lauren Filer earns a first T20 call-up.

Filer impressed with her pace during the Women’s Ashes Test earlier this summer, taking four wickets including Ellyse Perry twice, and was then called into the ODI squad for that multi-format series but did not make an appearance.

England drew the Ashes series 8-8 on points, fighting back from 6-0 down after defeats in the sole Test and first T20 international.

England head coach Jon Lewis said: “We have named a squad with a good blend of youth and experience and see this as an important series to test the depth of playing pool. We have some exciting, new young players coming in who we are looking forward to working with.

“Mahika is a very exciting talent. Left-arm swing bowlers of over six-foot tall are unique in women’s cricket. Mahika has shown consistently this summer that she is a threat with the new ball and we are excited to see how she performs at international level.

What to watch on Sky Sports this week

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Leeds v West Brom – August 18 – LIVE on Sky Sports Football
Plymouth v Southampton – August 19 – LIVE on Sky Sports Football
Tottenham v Man Utd – August 19 – LIVE on Sky Sports Premier League
Norwich v Millwall – August 20 – LIVE on Sky Sports Football
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West Ham v Chelsea – August 20 – LIVE on Sky Sports Premier League
The Hundred – August 1 to 27 – LIVE on Sky Sports Cricket
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“Bess is an all-action cricketer who impacts games and is a great fit for us and how we want to play. She impressed in the A team games against Australia earlier in the summer and she also provides cover for Amy Jones with the gloves.

“With a [T20] World Cup coming up next year [in Bangladesh], it’s imperative we develop the squad and players can gain international caps and experience.

“The chance to play at venues around the country is exciting. It’s great the opening fixture against Sri Lanka at Hove is now sold out. After an incredible Ashes summer, we want to maintain momentum on and off the field and look forward to getting started.”

T20 series vs Sri Lanka

First T20: Thursday August 31 (Hove) – 6pm start

Second T20: Saturday September 2 (Chelmsford) – 2.30pm start

Third T20: Wednesday September 6 (Derby) – 6pm start

ODI Series

First ODI: Saturday September 9 (Chester-le-Street) – 11am start

Second ODI: Tuesday, September 12 (Northampton) – 12.30pm start

Third ODI: Thursday September 14 (Leicester) – 12.30pm start

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