How 'Kemp-son' are solving England's batting problem

Figure caption,

Kemp and Gibson 'pummel' Scotland in England win

Charlotte Edwards thinks England could have won last year's 50-over World Cup had Freya Kemp and Dani Gibson been available.

The pair were both ruled out with back injuries. England reached the semi-finals but exited with little more than a whimper with a familiar problem laid bare.

When the field was set back, England struggled to hit boundaries. It is a topic that has dogged a team for a generation.

But, on Saturday against Scotland at Headingley, Kemp and Gibson provided the ultimate validation of Edwards' words.

They showed why they had persuaded the England coach, despite limited returns to that point at international level, to have no doubt in making 'Kemp-son' her engine room.

Together they shared a thrilling unbroken partnership of 61 from just 21 deliveries, which proved far too good for Scotland and set up a 38-run win.

More importantly, with tougher tests to come, it suggests they have changed the game for England.

They finally have finishers to be feared.

Figure caption,

England closing in on T20 semis spot with win over Scotland

Sophia Dunkley, who made 57 on her return before the onslaught, is one of those who has been tried in that finishing role.

Now found in the top three, she agrees the team has been given a new dimension.

"We've probably lacked a little bit of power at the back end and it's nice to have some real six-hitters coming in and giving us some momentum," she said.

England's aversion for acceleration was laid bare in the third Ashes T20 last year. In that defeat, they hit only three boundaries after the powerplay.

More widely across 2025, England's number six and seven, the positions filled by Kemp and Gibson at this World Cup, scored at a strike-rate of exactly 100 across 17 innings in T20s. They hit fewer than 6% of their deliveries to the boundary.

This year their boundary percentage sits at almost 28% and their strike-rate is a punishing 181.92.

"It's a huge difference from where they were last year," England World Cup winner Alex Hartley said.

"Freya Kemp, when she's healthy, can hit the ball powerfully. It doesn't even look like she's hitting the ball and it goes flying."

Former England batter Ebony Rainford-Brent said the pair are "solving a problem", while ex-seamer Katherine Sciver-Brunt added: "It was one of those partnerships that we've all been dying for - it was one that England needed to happen going into the latter stages."

Kemp played in that dismal Ashes defeat but soon after her back troubles returned.

It meant months of frustration, but time to work on her batting. She played a full summer for Hampshire, solely contributing with willow in hand.