Nat Sciver-Brunt hopeful of bowling return despite ongoing calf injury

England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt is hopeful of returning to bowling despite ongoing calf issues that have restricted her to playing as a specialist batter. She also hinted that she could miss next month's ODI series against Ireland as part of her rehabilitation programme.

Sciver-Brunt has been managing the injury throughout the summer, forcing her to miss the series against New Zealand and India, as well as a few matches during the 2026 Women's T20 World Cup.

She took a short break after the Lord's Test against India and missed the opening week of The Hundred. However, she marked her return in style by smashing an unbeaten 37 off 23 balls to guide Trent Rockets to an eight-wicket victory. With her workload being carefully managed, Sciver-Brunt is unlikely to feature in all five of the team's remaining league matches.

"It hasn't really stopped since the World Cup. [I'm doing] just little things, ticking over in the day and making sure my conditioning and strength is still up there. There's plenty to do. I haven't bowled in quite a long time. I'll have to leave the bowling for now, sadly,” said Sciver-Brunt as quoted by Cricinfo.

"I do still want to bowl. I enjoy being part of the game in all three skills. That is the plan. I'll have quite a big block of rehab after this tournament just to get my body right and make sure that the calf injury doesn't stick around for longer than necessary. We're working with the sports science and medicine team to put together a plan as to how to keep fit and really be able to contribute to any team I'm in. I still have the drive, and still love playing cricket and enjoying myself out there. I don't want to give up the bowling just yet,” she said to Sky Sports.

England will play a three-match ODI series against Ireland next month, which will serve as an important opportunity to fine-tune their squad ahead of the 2027 Women's Champions Trophy. Sciver-Brunt also challenged players on the fringes of international selection to make a strong case for inclusion by delivering consistent performances over the remaining weeks of The Hundred.

"We're in the first year or so since the 50-over World Cup, so [those ODIs] could be a great chance for different people to step up. We've got some really talented batters in the domestic game and in the Hundred, so it'd be really cool to see some new faces,” said Sciver-Brunt.

"This year, there's four overseas [players per team] so I guess that leaves out a space for a domestic player. But it does mean that the best domestic players will be playing and getting chances to show us what they've got… The fourth overseas has made this competition really competitive throughout the teams,” she added.