Selection issues begin to clear as England squad find their groove

By its very nature, cricket is a game with rhythm at its core. The sound of the ball off the bat, the clapping on hands in the field or the crowd permitting the acknowledgement of a piece of skill with a gentle round of applause.

In the latest intra-squad game at Derby, that rhythm is starting to reappear. The bowlers look more reassured, they are finding their line and length and making the batters work for their runs.

While most of the established players found some semblance of form in the first two games there were signs that the younger players have started to find a groove.

The players who were not part of the trip to Kuala Lumpur before Christmas had gone the best part of the year without competitive cricket. It showed in the first two games but was less evident here.

Bryony Smith, who had the misfortune to be run out last Thursday without facing a ball, showed it may be time to add to her solitary ODI cap - a game she did not bat in but bowled eight overs of off-spin.

It was with the bat that she impressed on Wednesday, batting deep into the Team Heyhoe Flint innings. Smith was patient at times for 87 from 104 balls.

She was supported by Emma Lamb (21) and Amy Jones (41).

For Jones, it was a welcome chance to find her tempo batting at four. With spots in the team at a premium, Jones may need to find a place in the middle order and looked in good touch before being bowled by Kirsty Gordon.

229 was never going to be enough to win the game for Team Heyhoe Flint, even when Katherine Brunt was in the swing of things.

Again, Tammy Beaumont and Danni Wyatt were solid at the top of the Team Brittin side. Together they added 52 for the first wicket. Broken only when Katie George found the edge with a ball that kept on going away from Wyatt.

It was an innings of partnerships, Natalie Sciver joined Beaumont and the pair added 73 for the second wicket. Both fell in quick succession.

That brought in Fran Wilson and Sophia Dunkley. Both are busy players in different ways: Wilson with shots square of the wicket and Dunkley preferring to show the maker’s name on her retro-styled Newbury bat.

They seemed to complement each other as they guided their team home with 27 balls to spare. Both are at different points in their careers but it seemed to be a bigger innings for Dunkley. This England side has been difficult to break into, with the priority in selection given to those with central contracts.

Dunkley batted with confidence, always looking to take the positive option. On Sunday she was given a licence to score quick runs at the end of the innings. On Wednesday, she showed she could judge an innings.

Along with her competitors for one of those England spots, Smith and Lamb, they are all able to bowl spin to a decent level. That may be the deciding factor as to who breaks into the next level and passes the audition for the band.