Hartley Says This England Are the Best Side She Has Seen in Years
Former spinner Alex Hartley rates unbeaten England as their strongest side in years, praising Wyatt-Hodge’s form and the bowling attack.
By SportCricket Desk · 1 Jul 2026 · 2 min read
Alex Hartley has tipped England to win the Women’s T20 World Cup, describing the current group as the best England team she has watched in a good few years.
England reached the semi-finals unbeaten, winning all five Group 2 matches. They lost captain Nat Sciver-Brunt to a calf injury during the group stage but have kept winning with both bat and ball.
A cautious note on pressure
Speaking on BBC Test Match Special, Hartley said she was nervous heading into the semi-finals because England have not yet been tested under real pressure, something they have struggled with in recent years. England have gone out in the semi-finals twice in the last three editions and missed the knockouts in 2024. They have not lifted the trophy since the inaugural event in 2009. Even so, Hartley said she was very confident in this squad.
Form of Wyatt-Hodge and Ecclestone
She said England appear to have every area covered, with one of the best bowling attacks in the world. Opener Danni Wyatt-Hodge is the tournament’s leading run-scorer, with 282 runs in five matches at a strike rate of 153.26. That tally includes an unbeaten century against Sri Lanka and two match-winning fifties.
Left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone leads England’s wicket-takers with eight in five games.
South Africa and the captaincy question
England will remember that South Africa beat them in the semi-finals of the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup. There is also no official word on whether Sciver-Brunt, still recovering from her calf problem, will return for the knockout match.
