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Kemp and Gibson 'pummel' Scotland in England win. Charlotte Edwards believes England could have clinched last year's 50-over World Cup had Freya Kemp and Dani Gibson been available. The pair were sidelined with back injuries. England reached the semi-finals but exited with little more than a whimper, showcasing a familiar problem.

When the field was set back, England struggled to hit boundaries. This has been a longstanding issue for the team. However, on Saturday against Scotland at Headingley, Kemp and Gibson validated Edwards' confidence in them by sharing a thrilling unbroken partnership of 61 off just 21 deliveries, leading to a 38-run victory.

More crucially, with tougher challenges ahead, it indicates they may have transformed England's batting lineup. They now possess finishers who instill fear in opponents.

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England inch closer to a T20 semi-final spot with their win over Scotland. Sophia Dunkley, who scored 57 upon her return before the explosive partnership, has now been adjusted to the top three and acknowledges the new dimension the team has acquired. "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 difficulty with acceleration was evident in the third Ashes T20 last year. In that defeat, they managed only three boundaries post-powerplay. Throughout 2025, England's sixth and seventh batters, the slots filled by Kemp and Gibson at this World Cup, recorded a strike-rate of exactly 100 over 17 T20 innings, hitting fewer than 6% of their deliveries to the boundary.

This year, their boundary percentage has soared to nearly 28%, with a punishing strike-rate of 181.92. "It's a huge difference from where they were last year," remarked England World Cup winner Alex Hartley. "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 noted that the duo is "solving a problem," while ex-seamer Katherine Sciver-Brunt commented, "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."

Following an impressive win over Scotland, England stands at three victories out of three. However, Sciver-Brunt is set to miss England's next two World Cup matches.

Kemp participated in that disappointing Ashes defeat but soon faced a return of her back issues, prompting months of difficulty. Nevertheless, this gave her time to refine her batting. She had a full summer with Hampshire, contributing solely with the bat. Gibson, on the other hand, missed the Ashes entirely due to her back injury, but the inability to bowl afforded her time to improve her batting over the winter.

She focused on enhancing her off-side play, as demonstrated in the final over on Saturday when she struck Scotland's Priyanaz Chatterji twice through the covers. "I was very leg-side dominant in the past so trying to get through the off side was a work on and it is going very well," Gibson expressed to Sky Sports post-victory.

If Lauren Bell and Linsey Smith are considered England's diverse bowling options, then Kemp and Gibson, both acquired for over £100,000 in The Hundred, showcase a complementary partnership. The lanky left-hander Kemp, reminiscent of Ben Stokes with her dynamic bat swing, hits cleanly either straight or over mid-wicket, as evidenced by her two sixes against Scotland. In contrast, right-hander Gibson, while less imposing in stature, excels in finding boundaries behind square.

Their partnership proves troublesome for bowlers. "Kempy's got so much power down the ground and Gibbo can hit square," Dunkley noted. "They're a great combination and to have a partnership like that at the end gives us as a top order a lot of confidence."

This top order includes Danni Wyatt-Hodge, whose 105 not out dazzled on the tournament's opening night, Dunkley, and Alice Capsey, arguably England's most in-form batter. Captain Nat Sciver-Brunt is hopeful of returning from a calf injury.

However, it is Kemp who Dunkley believes can hit the longest. "If I have to put money on it, I'd probably go with Kempy," she said.

Although it was Gibson's hit in the 19th over that had spectators scrambling for cover in Headingley's second tier, Gibson seemed hesitant to disagree. "I get very scared at the non-striker's end when Freya is batting because she absolutely smashes the ball," she confessed.

This partnership may have arrived too late for one World Cup, but it could prove timely for another.

Women's T20 World Cup top run-scorers & wicket-takers.

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