England chase lost glory as Women's T20 World Cup returns home

In a nutshell: "It's coming home" could become a familiar refrain over the next month in England. For much of the past decade, England were cast as the principal challengers to Australia's dominance. Yet when Australia failed to win the last World Cup in either format, the trophies ended up in New Zealand and India instead.

A home World Cup offers the promise of renewal. England have won every women's World Cup they've hosted – 1973, 1993, 2009 (T20) and most recently in 2017. In that famous Lord's final, a 24-year-old Nat Sciver-Brunt top-scored before a captivated crowd. Nearly a decade on, she returns as captain, charged with leading a new generation and bringing the glory days back home.

Squad: Nat Sciver-Brunt (c), Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Heather Knight, Amy Jones (wk), Sophia Dunkley, Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, Danielle Gibson, Freya Kemp, Lauren Bell, Tilly Corteen-Coleman, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Linsey Smith, Issy Wong

Best XI: Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Alice Capsey/Sophia Dunkley, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Heather Knight, Amy Jones (wk), Freya Kemp, Danielle Gibson, Charlie Dean, Sophie Ecclestone, Linsey Smith, Lauren Bell

Players to keep an eye on:

Tilly Corteen-Coleman: The 18-year-old left-arm spinner made an immediate impression on her international debut against New Zealand, taking two wickets and scoring a vital 3* in a one-wicket win. She famously took four wickets in four balls in county cricket before dismissing Meg Lanning for her maiden wicket in The Hundred.

Heather Knight: The former skipper struck an unbeaten 70 off 42 balls in a stunning 137-run partnership with Alice Capsey, powering England to their highest successful chase in a home T20I after slipping to 38 for 3.

What's in the news: Nat Sciver-Brunt has yet to feature this summer after suffering a calf injury in April. Edwards confirmed the skipper is fit and will return to No. 3, although she may not be ready to bowl right away.

Where they finished in 2024: Third in their group after a heavy defeat to West Indies, with semifinal spots decided by net run rate.

How have they performed since then: England swept West Indies and secured series wins over New Zealand and South Africa. They also avenged last year's 2-3 home defeat to India by winning 2-1 on the eve of this tournament.

The big game: vs West Indies. England will expect to start strongly in Group B. Then comes West Indies at Lord's on June 24, a rematch of the fixture that ended in tears in the UAE two years ago.

A landmark in sight: Sophie Ecclestone needs six wickets to become only the third bowler from a Full Member nation to reach 150 wickets in WT20Is.

Realistic expectation: A place in the final at Lord's on July 5. Anything less at a home World Cup would reinforce the belief that their hold on the No. 2 spot has loosened.