England against South Africa – Women's Cricket Global Tournament Starts
Ssshhhhhhhhh! The talking is over, at least for the moment, and England’s World Cup 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. Success today would give England instant momentum and legitimise the careful optimism from their pre-competition talk.
Pre-Tournament Momentum
An excellent win versus the Aussies in their previous practice game has boosted that self-assurance, although the personal contributions from Alice Capsey (remaining unbeaten on 88) and Sarah Glenn (5 for 32) caused a small team-selection puzzle for Charlotte Edwards.
Edwards is known for her success, meaning there is little chance that England will aim low. But from a distance they find themselves in a somewhat uncommon situation of having a very clear par for the tournament.
Competition Outlook
Falling short of the semis could be a slight surprise, even considering the improvement among the traditional also-rans. Making it to the championship match ahead of either Australia or India, the two clear favourites to claim the title, would be a serious achievement. And if England win it… no, let’s not go there. It’s much too premature for that sort of talk.
The game today starts at half past ten in the morning BST.
