South Africa toured England for five WODIs, with Edwards scoring two half-centuries including 96* in the fourth match. At the 2000 Women's Cricket World Cup in New Zealand, Edwards made her third WODI century, scoring 139* against the Netherlands. Injury and beyond In 2001, Edwards obtained a cruciate ligament injury to her right knee, requiring surgery, which meant that she missed the whole season. She returned to play for England for the 2002 Women's Tri-Series. After appearing for England throughout 2003, in the World Series of Women's Cricket, against Australia and against South Africa, Edwards scored her first international century since 2000 in 2004, scoring 102 in a WODI against South Africa at East London. During England's next series, against New Zealand, Edwards was the leading run-scorer in the WODI series, and scored 117 in the only Test match. On the same tour, Edwards made her Women's Twenty20 International (WT20I) debut, as she played in the first-ever international Twenty20 match for either gender. Edwards was the leading run-scorer at the 2005 Women's Cricket World Cup, with 280 runs including a high score of 99 against South Africa. She helped England win the Women's Ashes in 2005, including top-scoring with 69 in the first innings of the first Test match. International captaincy Ahead of England's 2005–06 tour of Sri Lanka and India, Edwards was made captain of the side, with regular captain Clare Connor out with a foot injury. She captained her side to a 2–0 WODI victory over Sri Lanka in her first series as captain. The Test match with India was drawn, with the WODI series lost 4–1, although Edwards hit two half-centuries in the WODI series. Clare Connor retired from international cricket in March 2006, with Edwards named as her permanent replacement. Her first series in permanent charge of the side came against India in England. She scored a century in the second innings of the 2nd Test match, with 105 as her side followed-on. In 2007, Edwards led the side to third place in the 2006–07 ICC Women's Quadrangular Series, scored her maiden WT20I half-century in a one-off match against South Africa, and led the side in a victorious WT20I series and WODI series loss against New Zealand, scoring a half-century in each series. In early 2008, Edwards led the side in a Women's Ashes series for the first time, on England's tour of Australia and New