Danni

Kate Cross has been left out of England’s squad for the Women’s World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, but batter Danni Wyatt-Hodge and leg-spinner Sarah Glenn have been recalled.

Former captain Heather Knight, who has been recovering from a hamstring injury since the end of May, is also included.

Seamer Cross is one of England’s most experienced bowlers in one-day internationals, with 101 wickets in 76 matches, but she has struggled for form since suffering a back injury at the end of 2024.

The 33-year-old was injured during England’s tour of South Africa in December, and was subsequently included in the Ashes squad but did not play a game during the disastrous 16-0 thrashing in Australia.

Cross has played four ODIs this summer, three against West Indies and one against India, but only took three wickets at an average of 55.

The World Cup starts on 30 September, with England’s first match against South Africa taking place on 3 October in Bengaluru.

Australia are defending their title after they beat England in the 2022 final.

England batter Danni Wyatt-Hodge’s 59 from 39 balls and a fine all-round display from Sophie Devine led Southern Brave to a 15-run win against Birmingham Phoenix in the women’s Hundred.

Phoenix slipped to 22-3 in pursuit of 140 to win, but captain Ellyse Perry led a revival with stands of 37 with England’s Amy Jones and 36 with Sterre Kalis.

The visitors were in a strong position with 45 needed from the last 30 balls, but New Zealand all-rounder Devine crucially dismissed Perry for 26 to spark a collapse from 95-4 to 124 all out.

Devine also held on to the catch to dismiss Jones for 20, removed Ailsa Lister for one and executed a brilliant run out in her follow-through to get rid of Megan Schutt for seven as Phoenix’s lower order buckled under the pressure, with nobody able to support Kalis’ 44 from 34 balls.

England seamer Lauren Bell also impressed for Brave, with 3-17 to continue her fine form after a three-wicket haul in their opening win against Manchester Originals on Wednesday.

Earlier, Wyatt-Hodge added 52 for the third wicket with Devine, who made 27, after Maia Bouchier fell cheaply for six and South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt made a fluent 28.

Brave had a solid platform at 120-2 with 15 balls remaining, but Phoenix fought back with a flurry of wickets and the hosts were pegged back to 139-7.

Australia seamer Megan Schutt and England’s Em Arlott were the standout bowlers with 2-23 and 2-19 respectively.

The attendance of 11,167 set a new record for a women’s Hundred match at the Utilita Bowl, surpassing the previous best of 10,911 from 2024.

England claimed a consolation win in the final T20 of the series against India as they edged a last-ball thriller at Edgbaston.

Chasing 168, England needed six from the final over with seven wickets in hand, but lost stand-in captain Tammy Beaumont and Amy Jones to leave one run needed from the final delivery.

Sophie Ecclestone and Paige Scholfield scampered the single to survive the scare and seal a five-wicket win, though Ecclestone would have been run out with a direct hit from Jemimah Rodrigues at mid-off.

The tense finish concluded England’s highest successful chase in a home T20, which was set up by Danni Wyatt-Hodge’s 56 from 36 balls on her 300th international appearance in an opening stand of 101 with Sophia Dunkley.

Beaumont’s 30 seemed to set up England’s push for victory, but she was bowled from the first ball of Arundhati Reddy’s closing over and Jones was dismissed by a phenomenal catch from Radha Yadav on the mid-wicket boundary.

Earlier, opener Shafali Verma played a lone hand in India’s 167-7 with a sensational 75 from 41 balls.

Verma whacked 13 fours and a six in her knock but struggled for support, with Richa Ghosh’s 24 the second-highest contribution as England chipped away with wickets throughout the middle overs to stall their scoring.

Charlie Dean was the pick with 3-23, including Verma, Sophie Ecclestone took 2-28 and Linsey Smith picked up 1-26.

The one-day international series begins at Southampton on 16 July, which will be England’s final three matches in the format before the World Cup starts at the end of September.