Coach Charlotte Edwards will be delighted with the momentum England have gained and the quality of their cricket but now faces her biggest decision since being appointed as coach before the start of last summer.
Capsey hit a match-winning 74 not out against New Zealand last month but when Wyatt-Hodge was available for Saturday’s match in Bristol she was pushed down from opener to number four – a sign that Dunkley and Wyatt-Hodge were still the preferred opening partnership.
How long can that remain the case?
Dunkley, who has opened in all of England’s T20s under Edwards, made a start again, reaching double figures for the fifth time in a row, before hitting straight to deep mid-wicket. Her highest score this summer is 26.
Wyatt-Hodge has made 29 and five since returning after the birth of her first child but has the advantage of holding the experience of 179 internationals.
While Knight played a series of sweeps and reverses, Capsey, who looks fitter and more composed in 2026, targeted the straight boundaries with power.
She hit one glorious carving drive over extra cover for six early on and in the 15th over kicked for home by hitting spinner Sree Charani for a four and two thumping sixes.
Knight reached her fifty in 31 deliveries – the quickest she has reached that landmark for England in any format. She was unrecognisable from the batter who started the summer with five innings at less than a run a ball.
The next question is whether England can translate this performance into one under pressure on the world stage, something they have failed to do in recent years.
