Quiet now! All discussions have ended, for now at least, and the World Cup journey for England is about to begin. The bad news is, they face a challenging match against South Africa. On the upside, they open with a stern test against South Africa. Victory today would give England instant momentum and legitimise the careful optimism from their pre-competition talk.
Pre-Competition Confidence
An impressive triumph against the Australians in their previous practice game has boosted that self-assurance, even if the personal contributions by Alice Capsey (scoring 88 not out) and Sarah Glenn (5 for 32) presented Charlotte Edwards with a minor dilemma.
Edwards is known for her success, so there’s no danger of England setting their sights low. Yet, externally they occupy a rare spot of having a very clear par for the tournament.
Tournament Expectations
Not making the last four might come as a small upset, even considering the progress made by usual lower-ranked teams. Reaching the final ahead of either Australia or India, the primary frontrunners to win the competition, would be a serious achievement. If the English side triumphs… we shouldn’t speculate further. It’s much too premature for those kinds of predictions.
The game today starts at 10.30am BST.
