| Venue: Six across England Date: 31 August-14 September |
| Coverage: Ball-by-ball commentary on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds. Live text commentary with in-play video clips and the commentary on the BBC Sport website and app. Third T20 on 6 September live on BBC Two and iPlayer. |
Uncapped left-arm seamer Mahika Gaur and wicketkeeper Bess Heath have been named in England’s squad for their white-ball series’ against Sri Lanka.
Gaur, 17, and Heath, 21, played for England A against Australia earlier in the summer and have had strong seasons.
Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Nat Sciver-Brunt and Danni Wyatt will miss some or all of the series.
There are three T20s from 31 August, followed by three one-day internationals from 9 September.
The third T20 on 6 September in Derby is live on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.
England squads for Sri Lanka
T20: Heather Knight (captain), Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Charlie Dean, Lauren Filer, Mahika Gaur, Danielle Gibson, Sarah Glenn, Bess Heath, Amy Jones, Freya Kemp, Issy Wong, Danielle Wyatt.
ODI: Heather Knight (captain) Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Charlie Dean, Lauren Filer, Mahika Gaur, Danielle Gibson, Sarah Glenn, Bess Heath, Amy Jones, Emma Lamb, Nat Sciver-Brunt.
Gaur, who played international cricket for United Arab Emirates aged 12, played two T20s against Australia A in June and has impressed in domestic cricket with her swing and bounce.
She took five wickets in the Charlotte Edwards Cup as Thunder reached finals day, before claiming six victims in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.
The 6ft bowler has also taken two wickets for Manchester Originals in The Hundred and has the second-best economy rate for a pace bowler in the women’s competition this year.
Heath, who may play as a specialist batter in the middle order, played in all seven games for England A this summer, scoring 88 in the red-ball warm-up against Australia’s full side and 150 across the six white-ball A matches.
The right-hander was part of the Northern Diamonds side that won the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy in 2022 and currently has the best strike-rate of any player to face more than 30 balls in the Women’s Hundred this summer at 184.85.
Head coach Jon Lewis said: “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.
“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 and she also provides cover for Amy Jones with the gloves.”
Ecclestone, who is the number-one ranked bowler in T20s and ODIs, and opening batter Dunkley, who has struggled for form this summer, will miss all six matches as England control workloads.
Sciver-Brunt, who is managing a knee injury, will miss the T20 series, with Wyatt missing the ODI games.
There is a recall to the T20 squad for all-rounder Freya Kemp, despite her struggles in The Hundred, and opening batter Emma Lamb also returns to the ODI fold having been left out of the Ashes squad.
Pace bowler Lauren Filer is in both squads after impressing during the Ashes, while Danielle Gibson may make her ODI debut.
Issy Wong, who was left out of Birmingham Phoenix’s squad for their game against Southern Brave on Wednesday to work on her “bowling mechanics”, is in the T20 squad.
Lewis added: “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 our playing pool.
“With a [T20] World Cup coming up next year [in Bangladesh in September], it’s imperative we develop the squad and players can gain international caps and experience.”
England have never hosted Sri Lanka in a bilateral series before, only playing them in England in an ODI during the 2017 World Cup and in T20s during the 2009 World Cup and 2022 Commonwealth Games.
The six matches bring to an end England’s home summer and follow a dramatic drawn Ashes series against Australia.
Jon Lewis’ side were 6-0 down after the Test and opening T20 but levelled at 6-6 before Australia retained the Ashes with a win in the second ODI.
England won the T20 and ODI legs to inflict first bilateral series defeats on Australia in each format since 2017 and 2013 respectively.
Schedule
August
31 1st T20, 1st Central County Ground, Hove (18:00 BST)
September
2 2nd T20, Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford (14:30 BST)
6 3rd T20, Incora County Ground, Derby (18:00 BST)
9 1st ODI, Seat Unique Riverside, Chester-le-Street (11:00 BST)
12 2nd ODI, Northampton (12:30 BST)
14 3rd ODI, Uptonsteel County Ground, Leicester (12:30 BST)
