England versus The South African Squad – Women's Cricket World Cup Begins
Silence please! The talking is over, for now at least, while England's global campaign is set to start. The bad news is, they face a challenging match with South Africa as their first rival. Fortunately, they start with a tough game against South Africa. A win in this match could provide immediate impetus for England and validate the careful optimism from their pre-competition talk.
Pre-Tournament Momentum
An excellent win over Australia in their last warm-up has increased that confidence, even if the standout displays of Alice Capsey (88 not out) alongside Sarah Glenn (claiming 5/32) caused a small team-selection puzzle for Charlotte Edwards.
Edwards is known for her success, thus there is no risk of the team having modest ambitions. However, looking broadly they are in the slightly unusual position with a well-defined expectation for the event.
Tournament Expectations
Not making the last four could be a slight surprise, even allowing for the progress made by usual lower-ranked teams. Reaching the final ahead of either Australia or India, the primary frontrunners to claim the title, would represent a major feat. If the English side triumphs… it's best not to entertain that thought. It’s much too premature for those kinds of predictions.
This fixture commences at half past ten in the morning BST.
