After England’s catastrophic Ashes whitewash in 2024/25, it seemed inevitable that Paige Scholfield would be part of the side’s plans going forward, but she seems to have fallen out of favour with the England set-up, and now her “focus is on Surrey”.
Scholfield remains one of the most exciting T20 players in the country, averaging 43 across the last two domestic seasons, with a strike rate in excess of 140.
Speaking after a match-winning 89 against Yorkshire, Scholfield brushed off questions about representing England in this summer’s home T20 World Cup, saying, “You’re always looking to do well, but for me right now, my focus is on Surrey.
“What comes along with this innings comes along. I’ll continue to focus on doing my job for Surrey.”
Surrey chased 193 (DLS) to defeat Yorkshire by three wickets, though they stuttered after Scholfield’s dismissal.
She ended up opening the batting on Wednesday, due to Alice Monaghan struggling with illness, and the 30-year-old undoubtedly made the most of this promotion. She smoked 89 off 42 and looked set for a remarkable century before being trapped lbw by Maddie Ward.
Since the start of last season, Scholfield has batted from one to seven for Surrey, showing her versatility as a player. Her destructive power means she can be used as a battering ram up top or as an icy finisher in the middle order.
“That’s one thing with Mybs [Johann Myburgh, Surrey head coach], you can bat from one to 11.
“I enjoy the challenge of opening. I’ve not done it a hell of a lot, but I’m actually really enjoying it, and it’s something that hopefully I can continue to do.
“Obviously, you got the new ball that moves a bit more, but with a pitch like that, it’s a little bit easier, and I have two less fielders to think about.
“One thing I love about Mybs, regardless of where you bat or where you play, he always backs your natural game, and it just allows you to play freely, and that’s what I felt like I did today.”
The South African-born star has eight caps for England. She first debuted as part of the second-string side that faced Ireland in late 2024, before getting another chance against India last summer.
She was unable to cement her place on those occasions and remains outside of England’s plans. Most recently, Scholfield was absent from England’s training camp in Somerset this week, with Surrey teammates Alice Capsey and Danni Wyatt-Hodge among those selected, who could feature in the middle order.
With England seemingly moving away from her, it looks unlikely that she’ll represent her country again in the near future.
