England versus The South African Squad – Women’s World Cup Starts
Quiet now! The pre-match talk has concluded, at least for the moment, while the World Cup journey for England is ready to commence. Unfortunately, they begin against a formidable opponent against South Africa. The good news is, they start with a tough game facing the South Africans. Victory today could provide immediate impetus for England and validate the measured self-belief in their build-up discussions.
Pre-Competition Confidence
A superb victory against the Australians during their final preparatory match has increased that confidence, even if the standout displays of Alice Capsey (88 not out) alongside Sarah Glenn (claiming 5/32) presented Charlotte Edwards with a minor dilemma.
Edwards is known for her success, thus there is no risk that England will aim low. Yet, externally they are in the slightly unusual position where their tournament benchmark is quite obvious.
Tournament Expectations
Failure to reach the semi-finals might come as a small upset, despite the progress made by usual lower-ranked teams. Reaching the final ahead of either Australia or India, the two top contenders to win the competition, would be a serious achievement. If the English side triumphs… no, let’s not go there. It’s way too early for those kinds of predictions.
This fixture commences at 10.30am BST.
