England against South Africa – Women's Cricket World Cup Starts
Silence please! All discussions have ended, at least for the moment, and the World Cup journey for England is ready to commence. The bad news is, they begin against a formidable opponent versus the South African side. Fortunately, they kick off with a demanding fixture facing the South Africans. A win in this match would give England instant momentum and validate the cautious confidence in their build-up discussions.
Pre-Tournament Momentum
An excellent win over Australia in their last warm-up has boosted that self-assurance, although the standout displays from Alice Capsey (remaining unbeaten on 88) and Sarah Glenn (5 for 32) gave Charlotte Edwards a slight selection headache.
Edwards is known for her success, meaning there is little chance that England will aim low. Yet, externally they find themselves in a somewhat uncommon situation where their tournament benchmark is quite obvious.
Tournament Expectations
Failure to reach the semi-finals could be a slight surprise, even considering the improvement among the traditional also-rans. Advancing to the ultimate game ahead of either Australia or India, the primary frontrunners to claim the title, would be a serious achievement. And if England win it… we shouldn’t speculate further. It’s way too early for such discussions.
Today’s match begins at 10:30 AM British Summer Time.
