Nat Sciver-Brunt and Amy Jones shine for England in a thrilling warm-up win over India, while Georgia Voll’s unbeaten 77 guides Australia past West Indies ahead of the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The final round of warm-up matches before the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup delivered plenty of excitement as England narrowly defeated India in Cardiff, while Australia cruised past West Indies in a match overshadowed by an injury to all-rounder Chinelle Henry.
England Hold Nerve Against India Despite Richa Ghosh’s Brilliant Knock
England secured a hard-fought victory over India in a thrilling contest that provided both teams with valuable preparation ahead of the tournament. After being invited to bat first, England posted a competitive 171/6, thanks largely to captain Nat Sciver-Brunt’s composed 57 off 45 balls and Amy Jones’ impressive 64 from 45 deliveries.
Sciver-Brunt, looking for crucial batting time before the World Cup, anchored the innings while Jones continued her rich vein of form at the top of the order. Although India’s spinners slowed England during the middle overs, Dani Gibson’s explosive unbeaten 30 from just 12 balls, featuring four boundaries and a six, powered England to a strong finish.
India experimented with their bowling attack, handing Shafali Verma an over with the new ball, while Renuka Thakur endured a difficult outing, conceding 44 runs. Kranti Gaud impressed with her fuller deliveries, consistently troubling England’s batters.
In response, India struggled to build partnerships as Smriti Mandhana fell for just one run and several top-order batters failed to convert starts. However, wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh produced a sensational counterattack from No. 6, smashing 68 off only 36 deliveries, including nine fours and two sixes.
Richa almost pulled off a remarkable chase, but with India needing six runs from the final three balls, she was stumped in the last over. Spinner Linsey Smith starred for England with three wickets, helping her side clinch a narrow victory.
England also used the match to test their squad depth, with Alice Capsey taking wicketkeeping duties instead of Amy Jones. Several players, including Harmanpreet Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues, Sophia Dunkley, Heather Knight, Lauren Bell and Arundhati Reddy, were rested during the fixture.
England will now begin their T20 World Cup campaign against Sri Lanka on June 12 at Edgbaston, while India face Pakistan on June 14 at the same venue.
Georgia Voll Powers Australia to Comfortable Win Over West Indies
Australia continued their strong build-up to the Women’s T20 World Cup with a six-wicket victory over West Indies in Cardiff.
Opening batter Georgia Voll starred with an unbeaten 77 from 48 balls, striking ten fours and two sixes as Australia chased down 132 with five overs remaining. Voll sealed the win in style with a boundary, a six, and another boundary off Jannillea Glasgow.
Beth Mooney provided the early momentum with a rapid 34 from just 18 deliveries before retiring out after a dominant opening partnership worth 48 runs.
The biggest concern of the match came for West Indies when all-rounder Chinelle Henry suffered an injury while attempting a catch at long-on. Henry slipped awkwardly while running forward and had to be stretchered off the field. The severity of the injury remains unknown, but it could be a major setback for West Indies ahead of their World Cup opener.
Earlier, Australia’s bowling unit shared the workload effectively, with seven of the eight bowlers used taking at least one wicket. Ashleigh Gardner and Lucy Hamilton claimed two wickets each as West Indies were bowled out for 131 after collapsing from 109/4 to 131 all out.
Deandra Dottin top-scored with 46 runs, while Jahzara Claxton contributed during a 45-run fourth-wicket partnership. However, the Caribbean side struggled to maintain momentum against Australia’s disciplined attack.
Meanwhile, Australia continued to manage Phoebe Litchfield cautiously due to quad awareness. Head coach Shelley Nitschke confirmed that the batter was rested for both warm-up matches as a precaution but remains hopeful of being available for Australia’s opening World Cup fixture.
West Indies will begin their tournament campaign against defending champions New Zealand on Saturday in Southampton, while Australia enter the competition with confidence after another dominant warm-up performance.


