NEWS: Mady Villiers Called Up To England Squad For Ashes T20s

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England have announced their squad for the 3 Ashes T20s which begin at Chelmsford on Friday.

The big news is that they have called up 20-year-old Essex and Surrey Stars bowling all-rounder Mady Villiers to the squad, after she impressed in the recent Academy matches against Australia A, hitting 30 off 15 balls at number 8 in the final T20 match; as well as an unbeaten half-century in the 3-day warm-up at Marlborough College against the full Australian side.

Danni Wyatt also returns to the squad having been dropped for the Test, while Georgia Elwiss retains her spot after earlier missing out on the ODIs.

England can still draw the Ashes series 8-all if they win all 3 matches in the T20 series.

Full squad:

  • Heather Knight (Berkshire)
  • Tammy Beaumont (Kent)
  • Katherine Brunt (Yorkshire)
  • Kate Cross (Lancashire)
  • Sophie Ecclestone (Lancashire)
  • Georgia Elwiss (Sussex)
  • Jenny Gunn (Nottinghamshire)
  • Amy Jones (Warwickshire)
  • Laura Marsh (Kent)
  • Nat Sciver (Surrey)
  • Anya Shrubsole (Berkshire)
  • Sarah Taylor (Sussex)
  • Mady Villiers (Essex)
  • Lauren Winfield (Yorkshire)
  • Danni Wyatt (Sussex)

7 thoughts on “NEWS: Mady Villiers Called Up To England Squad For Ashes T20s”

  1. Good for Villiers whose rise has been meteoric; but I’m surprised to see no Dunkley, Wilson, Bryony Smith, George, Gordon etc. Ultra conservative selections from Mr Robinson again.

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    • I think I’d describe it as random, rather than conservative. Players seem to be picked for various formats, then left out, not given a chance when they could be, then picked for a game or two, then out of the frame altogether.

      Gordon, L Smith & Dunkley all did reasonably well in the Caribbean, given their inexperience, now not even in the squad.

      Big fan of Jenny Gunn, but isn’t it time we seriously explored alternative options? Similar cases could be made around two or three others in that squad.

      I’m not as critical of MR as some have been. He has credit in the bank as far as I’m concerned, and he can point to failings above him over the last few years in some mitigation for any failings so far in this Ashes series. But there are times when I really can’t fathom either our immediate or long-term strategy.

      I’m sure there’s a masterplan to it all, really I am…

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      • It seems much more like an ODI squad than a T20I one. Wonder if maybe it’s a ‘last chance’ squad for a lot of senior players, to prove they should still have a part to play in the winter and beyond.

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      • Some really odd selections. Gunn hasn’t played a T20I in over a year. Elwiss hasn’t played one since 2016.

        Still puzzled that Farrant lost her contract a while back and is seemingly totally out of contention. To me at least, she appears to have more to offer going forward than some of the players who keep making squads, particularly in T20.

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  2. I wholeheartedly agree with all contributors above. Good chance to get the new blood in, they would get invaluable experience without too much expectation or pressure on the outcomes. Some of the stalwarts have been good servants, but is this their swan song time?
    Still fail to see why the likes of Jenny Gunn and similar played in an Academy game last week?! A somewhat befuddled strategy.
    Your first paragraph (Richard) sums things up perfectly.
    However, let’s hope………

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  3. So do England want to come a distant second (or make third/fourth play-off) in the 2020 T20 World Cup or develop players to genuinely compete with Australia, beyond that next competition?

    Think we all know the answer…

    Would a t20 white wash change his thinking?

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