Capsey to keep wicket for England in ODI series against Ireland

Alice Capsey will don the wicketkeeping gloves for England in their one-day international series against Ireland this week, taking the role for the first time at senior international level. The 22-year-old will keep for England ahead of the first ODI, with live coverage of that match scheduled for 1 September.

Capsey has been a regular in England’s side as a batter and occasional bowler and is regarded within the squad as a dependable fielder and a potential future leader. When the team assembled for their pre-series photo shoot on Monday she had to remember an extra piece of kit: wicketkeeping gloves. She has 95 caps for England despite having never kept wicket for the national side in an official match until now.

Her wicketkeeping experience at professional level is limited: Capsey’s only recorded outing as a keeper was in a 50-over game for South East Stars in 2020. "Realistically, it is a bit of an unknown," Capsey tells BBC Sport. "In games, I have not done it a huge amount."

England first explored the option of Capsey keeping during their pre-season camp in South Africa earlier this year, with coach Charlotte Edwards involved in those discussions. After some early-season work she was named as the back-up to regular keeper Amy Jones for this summer's T20 World Cup. That plan remained unused during the tournament, although the selection scenario briefly included the return of captain Nat Sciver-Brunt from injury and the possibility of Sophia Dunkley retaining a batting spot while Jones missed out and Capsey took the gloves.

Capsey admits she was nervous about returning to the role initially. "Especially at the beginning of the summer, I was pretty nervous to do it," Capsey says. "I went into my shell a little bit and was quite internal. It was awesome to have Sophie Ecclestone and those characters who are outgoing, jokey and keep everything relaxed. "Everyone has seen me train so much now over the course of the summer it is second nature."

She describes the physical side of wicketkeeping candidly. "The amount of times you take blows on the fingers, or one goes down the leg side and you miss it..." she says. "But those are the bits you enjoy, working to get better and better." Capsey was a keeper while progressing through the Surrey academy, only stopping when she moved into a higher age group that lacked an off-spinner. "Who knows if I hadn't played up whether I would have just kept on keeping, but it is really cool going back to the roots and where I started," she says.

Capsey’s time at Bede's School in Sussex brought her into contact with former England wicketkeeper Sarah Taylor, who worked there as a sports coach before returning to professional coaching with England's men. Capsey, who watched the 2017 World Cup final at Lord's as a 12-year-old, said of Taylor: "The way she went about it, did it her way and brought an X-factor to it was really cool." She added: "She has been on my shoulder for the last four or five years saying I need to get back to keeping. "It has been awesome to touch base with her, especially this summer to be able to message her and say 'I am back'."

Capsey increased her glovework at the start of the summer while balancing batting, bowling and out-field practice, and adjusted gym sessions to strengthen her legs and abductors for squats behind the stumps. "I have pulled up, touch wood, after all of it so far," she says. "Come back to me at the end of the week." She also kept behind closed doors in an England warm-up against India, taking a rising catch off seamer Dani Gibson, completing a stumping off Linsey Smith and conceding no byes. "It was awesome," Capsey says. "Keeping up to Gibbo was a really nice challenge. "That catch was one of the highlights but also it is the little things, whether in the first over stood back to [Lauren] Filer and getting one cleanly in the hands, there were a couple of leg-side takes as well."

With Amy Jones rested for the Ireland series, the three one-day internationals provide England with a contingency option and added competition for the wicketkeeper role; Jones is a 33-year-old who struggled for runs in parts of the recent World Cup, returning five single-figure scores in seven World Cup innings this year. Capsey believes the responsibility will bring pressure but also opportunity: "There is going to be nerves and pressure around, but more internal pressure than anything," she says. "As a professional athlete you don't want to do it badly and you are representing England. "It is an international series, there are ICC points on the line. "To be trusted to have the gloves for England has got to give you confidence as well. "I am not the finished article by any means but I did it for a long time growing up. "Regardless of the challenges presented this week I know I have a bit of experience to fall back on which is nice."

Follow live text and listen to ball-by-ball commentary of the first ODI between England and Ireland on 1 September from 12:45, with highlights on iPlayer and Red Button from 23:00.