Southampton, June 15 (IANS) As they get ready for their second match in Group B against Ireland in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the Hampshire Bowl on Tuesday, England top pacer Lauren Bell said they will be starting from zero despite making a winning start in their campaign.
England Women opened their campaign with a comprehensive 87-run victory over Sri Lanka in the tournament opener in Birmingham on Friday, with Danni Wyatt-Hodge slamming an unbeaten 105 and Amy Jones stroking 53 off 38 balls.
In contrast, Ireland went down to Scotland by 49 runs at Old Trafford in Manchester.
Bell said it was good to start with a win, but they will try to start at zero and bring the same energy as in their opener.
“Yeah, definitely. I think we couldn’t have been happier with how Friday night went, especially with it being the opening game. And yeah, it sets us in a good place. But yeah, you’ve got to go again, start from zero, and yeah, bring the same energy as we had on Friday,” said Lauren Bell in the pre-match press conference.
Lauren Bell said England want to continue doing well, but are not thinking about maintaining momentum and a high net run rate (NRR), and avoid losing out on that aspect as they did in 2024.
“No, no, that’s not a conversation. The main thing is just to play a really good brand of cricket and win matches. I think tomorrow night is a reset, and we go again. We’re really happy with how Friday night went. But yeah, it’s a new game of cricket, and we’ll just try and do everything we can to play a really good game of cricket and try and get another win,” she said.
The 25-year-old right-handed medium pacer said she is happy with her form this summer and elated to take wickets in the Power-play.
“Yeah, I feel really happy with where I’m at and my role in this team. I think, yeah, I’m obviously in it to take powerplay wickets and come back at the death. And yeah, I feel like I’m happy with where I’m at and how it’s all going,” said Bell.
The England pacer said that, though they do not get to play Ireland in ICC events, she has the experience of facing these players on the field.
“I’ve bowled at these players plenty of times. A team like Ireland, you do have to do a little bit of research on who they are and how they might line up, but ultimately, in the same way I prep for any team, I know my strengths, I know my plans, and a lot of the time I don’t fare too far off from what I do best and what my strengths are,” she added.
–IANS
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