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Just aft midday past Sunday nan England captain, Nat Sciver-Brunt, smashed nan India captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, for six disconnected Waterloo Bridge, consecutive into nan Thames. The scratch-match, which progressive each 12 competing captains, was portion of a chaotic, eye-catching arena to motorboat nan Women’s T20 World Cup. Also progressive were a reddish London bus, nan International Cricket Council chairman, Jay Shah, and a day-long takeover of 1 of London’s busiest thoroughfares. A Women’s World Cup has ne'er been this big, this important, aliases this annoying for achromatic cab drivers.
The England and Wales Cricket Board has poured a batch of resources into trying to execute its stated extremity of making this tourney “a movement, not a moment”. Last week Sciver-Brunt, Lauren Bell and Sophia Dunkley became nan first cricketers to look connected a Piccadilly Circus billboard. The full West End formed of Wicked are being transplanted to Birmingham connected Friday evening, to execute nan musical’s biggest hits arsenic portion of nan tournament’s opening ceremony.
More than 200,000 tickets for nan tourney person been sold (although nan organisers are still a measurement disconnected their stated extremity of 273,000, which would double nan erstwhile highest attendance astatine a Women’s Cricket World Cup, group successful Australia successful 2020). The truth that Scotland, Ireland and nan Netherlands each successfully fought their measurement done nan qualifiers successful Nepal successful January is an added bonus, fixed that droves of fans from those 3 nations are expected to make nan travel to England.
So far, truthful bully – but nan difficult spot is still to come. Because anyone tin link cleanly erstwhile Harmanpreet Kaur bowls a afloat flip astatine them pinch a tennis ball. It’s erstwhile nan existent cricket starts – erstwhile Sciver-Brunt walks retired for nan coin flip pinch Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu astatine 6pm connected Friday – that nerves will really jangle astatine nan ECB, because England’s capacity connected nan transportation is nan 1 point nan governing assemblage can’t control.
England whitethorn person won each World Cup they person hosted, but this England squad are beautiful bully astatine achieving dubious humanities feats (16-0, anyone?). And nan goals of record-breaking reach, sum and summons income are surely predicated connected England being portion of that last astatine Lord’s connected 5 July.
Let’s look connected nan agleam side. England are caller from T20 bid wins against nan 20-over champions New Zealand and nan 50-over champions India. Alice Capsey’s caller resurgence has travel astatine nan cleanable time, giving England’s mediate bid much-needed oomph. Lauren Bell was already a champion of England’s bowling onslaught but they tin now besides thin connected nan recently classed No 1 bowler Linsey Smith, a left-arm spinner who besides swings nan shot and is frankincense a potent threat successful nan powerplay.
Unexpectedly, nan tricky portion of nan puzzle now seems to beryllium Sciver-Brunt herself, who someway has to not conscionable slot backmost into a broadside from which she has been absent for nan past six weeks pinch a calf injury, but besides find a measurement to lead it – contempt nan truth that Charlie Dean has (whisper it) looked a much earthy captain.
England’s schedule is front-loaded pinch matches they should triumph – against Sri Lanka, Ireland, Scotland and West Indies – earlier yet facing New Zealand, past seen collapsing to 80 each retired astatine Hove. In theory, this is an easy way to nan semi-finals. In practice, England could easy find themselves connected nan incorrect extremity of batting masterclasses from Sri Lanka’s Athapaththu aliases West Indies’ Hayley Matthews.
Scotland’s lucifer against Ireland astatine Old Trafford connected 13 June should beryllium a cracker betwixt 2 evenly matched sides. “There’s monolithic rivalry betwixt america and Scotland,” nan Ireland captain, Gaby Lewis, said connected Sunday. “They’re 1 up connected america aft Nepal, but hopefully we tin conflict backmost successful that first game.”
Watch out, too, for nan erstwhile England subordinate Kirstie Gordon, who returned to play for Scotland successful Edinburgh 2 weeks agone aft a nine-year absence. Nothing would please her much than to springiness her erstwhile teammates a kicking astatine Headingley connected 20 June.
England’s main title for nan title, though, is successful Group A, wherever Australia, India and South Africa are locked successful a three-way conflict for nan semi-finals. South Africa were finalists successful nan past 2 editions of this tournament, knocking retired Australia successful nan 2024 semi-final, and now person Shabnim Ismail backmost successful their ranks aft she reversed her status from world cricket. They besides handed India a bid conclusion successful April pinch nan captain, Laura Wolvaardt, averaging 82 crossed nan five-match series.
Five to watch astatine T20 World Cup
ShowLucy Hamilton (Australia)
The 20-year-old left-arm seamer whitethorn deficiency acquisition - she’s only played successful 1 T20 world truthful acold - but she was awesome connected Test debut v India astatine nan WACA successful March, bagging six wickets including a maiden scalp of Smriti Mandhana. She’ll beryllium successful statement to return nan caller shot successful England if conditions suit.
Ailsa Lister (Scotland)
Lister is 1 of nan Scottish players who benefits from playing professionally southbound of nan separator - she’s represented Lancashire since 2024, and scored nan winning runs for them successful past year’s One-Day Cup final. An fierce batter, her expertise to people quickfire runs down nan bid is bound to travel successful handy.
Bree Illing (New Zealand)
Illing will beryllium well-adjusted to English conditions by nan clip nan World Cup starts, having impressed successful New Zealand’s caller bid v England. The young left-armer bowls a mean bouncer and gets decent swing, truthful is well-suited to English pitches.
Tilly Corteen-Coleman (England)
The 18-year-old left-arm spinner is nan only newbie successful England’s squad and has already impressed caput coach Charlotte Edwards pinch her maturity and affirmative attitude. The only mobility is whether, fixed England’s surfeit of rotation options, she tin find a spot successful nan XI.
Kayla Reyneke (South Africa)
The erstwhile U19 skipper only debuted successful February but has already gone viral doubly for her spectacular lower-order cameos - hitting a six disconnected nan last shot successful some her T20i debut (against Pakistan) and her ODI debut (against New Zealand) and helping her broadside to against-the-odds wins connected some occasions. Expect akin fireworks successful England.
As for nan perennial favourites Australia? Their guidance to being told that this will beryllium nan astir competitory tourney successful nan competition’s history was to stroll to casual wins successful their 2 warm-ups, against England connected Monday and West Indies connected Wednesday. Selecting Sophie Molineux arsenic their caller skipper successful January raised eyebrows fixed her ongoing wounded issues, but moreover a weakened Australia are still, well, Australia.
It’s telling that astatine nan Captains’ Carnival connected Waterloo Bridge past weekend, nan photograph everyone seemed to want astir of each was nan 1 of Molineux and Harmanpreet, eyes locked crossed nan World Cup trophy, pinch nan London Eye successful nan background. Can England find a measurement to disrupt this anticipated finale? Tune successful connected Friday evening to find out.
