Tilly Corteen-Coleman 'on cloud nine' after T20 World Cup call-up

Tilly Corteen-Coleman has expressed her sheer delight after being named in England's 15-player squad for the upcoming Women's T20 World Cup, which will be held on home soil this summer. The uncapped 18-year-old left-arm spinner described herself as being on "cloud nine" ever since receiving the news from head coach Charlotte Edwards.

A rapid rise through the ranks

Corteen-Coleman, who bowls slow left-arm, has already made a significant impact in domestic cricket. She starred in The Hundred competition and was recently retained by Southern Brave on a lucrative six-figure contract. Her performances during England's recent intra-squad tour of South Africa further cemented her place in the squad.

The teenager has a long-standing connection with Edwards, who handed Corteen-Coleman her Kent cricket cap at the age of 11 and later gave her debut in The Hundred when she was just 16. Reflecting on her selection, Corteen-Coleman said: "I got the good news which I was absolutely buzzing with. I've been on cloud nine ever since."

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Key role in England's spin attack

Corteen-Coleman is one of four frontline slow bowlers in the squad, joining fellow left-armers Sophie Ecclestone and Linsey Smith, as well as off-spinner Charlie Dean, who will serve as vice-captain to Nat Sciver-Brunt. The young spinner believes her relative anonymity at the international level could work in her favour.

"Being a fresh face, people haven't had that exposure against me which does make a big difference," she explained. "I love performing under pressure. I've had that exposure in front of crowds for domestic and county cricket but also in The Hundred. You won't know until you're there but I feel like I've got a great support network around me and I'm as ready as I can be."

Squad selection surprises

All-rounder Dani Gibson, who was the most expensive English player in The Hundred, has been included after an injury-hit 2025 season. Fast bowlers Issy Wong and Lauren Filer have been preferred to Em Arlott. However, there is no place for veteran Tammy Beaumont, who has 109 caps, nor for highly-rated 19-year-old opener Davina Perrin, who burst onto the scene last year with a 42-ball century in The Hundred.

Head coach Edwards admitted the selection process was exceptionally challenging. "There is no doubt that it has been incredibly tough to get to these 15 names," she said. "This is the hardest set of selection meetings I have been a part of."

Captain's ambition

Sciver-Brunt will aim to emulate Edwards, who captained England to T20 World Cup glory in the inaugural edition in 2009. That remains England's only title in the competition, having finished as runners-up to Australia on three occasions since. The team endured a disappointing group-stage exit under Heather Knight in the 2024 tournament in the United Arab Emirates, where concerns were raised about the fitness levels of several players.

Twelve players from that squad have been retained for the upcoming World Cup, with Sarah Glenn, Maia Bouchier, and Bess Heath missing out. England will play three T20 matches against both New Zealand and India from next month, using the same squad as for the World Cup.

The summer begins with three ODIs against New Zealand in June. Wicketkeeper Kira Chathli and all-rounder Jodi Grewcock have received their maiden call-ups for that series. Dean, Sophia Dunkley, and Danni Wyatt-Hodge will be rested for the ODIs to manage their workloads, with Wyatt-Hodge also preparing for the birth of her first child.