‘Stubborn’ Alice Capsey guides England to win over Sri Lanka in Commonwealth bow

Alice Capsey defied a black eye to anchor England’s pursuit of 107 as the hosts marked their first ever foray into cricket at the Commonwealth Games with a five-wicket win over Sri Lanka.

England slipped to 63 for four on a tricky Edgbaston surface, where timing proved difficult, but Capsey was a reassuring presence despite the 17-year-old only making her international debut last Saturday.

Sporting a shiner having top-edged a ball into her face while warming up in the nets, Capsey shrugged off the issue to top-score with 44 off 45 balls as England overhauled their target after 17.1 overs.

Capsey was stumped attempting to hit the winning runs but Maia Bouchier did so off the very next delivery to finish on 21 not out as England made an ideal start to their Group B campaign.

While Capsey, one of seven England players aged 24 or under, has already developed a reputation for her big-hitting, the teenager showed her maturity by finding the gaps and milking Sri Lanka’s coterie of spinners for ones and twos alongside Bouchier, who was a capable foil in a crucial 42-run stand.

Nat Sciver, deputising as England captain in the absence of the injured Heather Knight, said: “Alice is very stubborn.

“She got hit in the face and other people might not have wanted to continue, it’s hard to get her off the pitch.

“I’ve not seen an innings like that from her. We’ve seen a very explosive sign of her batting but she was very calm and collected here.”

Alice is very stubborn. She got hit in the face and other people might not have wanted to continue- Nat Sciver

Cricket is back at the Games after 24 years and while a men’s 50-over tournament was held in Kuala Lumpur, this event in Birmingham which started on Friday is Twenty20 and exclusively