England against The South African Squad – Women's Cricket World Cup Kicks Off
Silence please! The talking is over, for the time being, while England’s World Cup is set to start. Unfortunately, they begin against a formidable opponent versus the South African side. Fortunately, they open with a stern test against South Africa. Success today might boost England's confidence right away and justify the measured self-belief of their pre-tournament chatter.
Pre-Tournament Momentum
A superb victory versus the Aussies in their previous practice game has increased that confidence, even if the individual performances by Alice Capsey (scoring 88 not out) and Sarah Glenn (taking 5 wickets for 32 runs) caused a small team-selection puzzle for Charlotte Edwards.
Edwards is a serial winner, meaning there is little chance that England will aim low. Yet, externally they are in the slightly unusual position of having a very clear par for the tournament.
Competition Outlook
Falling short of the semis could be a slight surprise, even allowing for the progress made by usual lower-ranked teams. Advancing to the ultimate game before Australia or India, the two top contenders to win the competition, would represent a major feat. If the English side triumphs… no, let’s not go there. It’s much too premature for such discussions.
This fixture commences at 10:30 AM British Summer Time.
