Paige Scholfield ruled out of England’s SA tour with ankle injury

Paige Scholfield will leave England’s tour of South Africa before it’s begun after she was injured in training.

Scholfield hurt her ankle during training on Tuesday and, following further assessment on Wednesday morning, withdrew from the T20I squad to return to the UK and begin her rehabilitation.

She was one of two changes made to England’s T20I squad which exited last month’s World Cup in the group stages, brought in to add firepower to England’s middle order with batter Alice Capsey overlooked amid a form slump and allrounder Dani Gibson ruled out after undergoing knee surgery. Fast bowler Lauren Filer was also included after missing the World Cup.

Capsey had already been a late call-up to the South Africa touring party as cover for what England described as some minor niggles within the T20 squad, leaving her WBBL stint with Melbourne Renegades, before Scholfield was injured.

Shortly before she left the UK for South Africa, Scholfield spoke of her joy at being selected for the trip to her birthplace, having made her England debut at the age of 28 during the tour of Ireland in September.

“I thought it was my England A coach calling me, so I’ve got the wrong coach,” Scholfield told ESPNcricinfo of her call-up for the Ireland trip.”It was so out of blue and I was so excited and I just couldn’t believe it was happening. If I’m honest, I am still now trying to regulate my feelings around it.

“Speaking to my mum and dad when I told them about this tour to South Africa, they were over the moon, being diehard South Africans, they just couldn’t believe it. My mum started crying. It’s just so exciting and I just hope it continues to happen.”

Scholfield was the fifth-highest run-scorer in the Charlotte Edwards Cup T20 competition this year with 259 runs at an average of 43.16 and strike rate of 140.00 with a top score of 73 not out. She also scored 190 runs in the Women’s Hundred, striking at 137.68 with a highest score of 71 off 40 balls playing for Oval Invincibles.

She credited the ongoing professionalisation of the domestic women’s structure in England and Wales, which started in 2020, with helping her reach her goal of representing the country she has called home since the age of 12.

“I’m 28, I had very little hope that I’d be representing my country with these youngsters coming through who are just unbelievably talented,” Scholfield said. “But this county setup now allows players like myself to still be able to have that ambition to represent their country and to show the rest of the world what we can do, and that age is just the number and I can still throw myself about and hit a couple of balls.

“It’s an exciting time and I’m really enjoying where the game’s going and I hope it continues to grow to the point where we can get to where the men are at and make a career and travel the world doing it.”

The multi-format series between South Africa and England starts on Sunday with the first of three T20Is in East London, followed by three ODIs and a Test.