The English Team versus South Africa – Women’s World Cup Begins
Quiet now! The talking is over, at least for the moment, and England's global campaign is ready to commence. The bad news is, they start with a tough game against South Africa. On the upside, they kick off with a demanding fixture facing the South Africans. Victory today would give England instant momentum and justify the careful optimism from their pre-competition talk.
Pre-Competition Confidence
A superb victory over Australia during their final preparatory match has increased that confidence, although the standout displays by Alice Capsey (scoring 88 not out) and Sarah Glenn (taking 5 wickets for 32 runs) presented Charlotte Edwards with a minor dilemma.
Edwards is known for her success, thus there is no risk of England setting their sights low. But from a distance they occupy a rare spot with a well-defined expectation for the event.
Tournament Expectations
Failure to reach the semi-finals could be a slight surprise, despite the improvement among the traditional also-rans. Reaching the final before Australia or India, the two top contenders to win the competition, would represent a major feat. If the English side triumphs… we shouldn’t speculate further. It’s much too premature for those kinds of predictions.
Today’s match begins at 10.30am BST.
