The Australia Women’s cricket group are like that massive boss in a online game. If you defeat them, glory needs to be yours, however you have to be at your highest to take action.
India are the one aspect to inflict defeat on the Southern Stars in any type since September 2021 and even that was by way of a T20 Super Over. Australia actually are one among sport’s most formidable outfits.
They enter this week’s T20 World Cup as defending champions, having gained the 2020 version on house soil. They gained the earlier event earlier than that as nicely, within the Caribbean in 2018.
Saturday eleventh February 12:30pm
Saturday eleventh February 4:30pm
Meg Lanning’s group additionally maintain the 50-over World Cup, Ashes and Commonwealth Games titles, which means they want a cupboard as deep as their squad to accommodate all their prizes.
They are anticipated to proceed the dynasty by making it three T20 World Cup victories in a row in South Africa this month, with an all-Antipodean affair in opposition to New Zealand their opening sport.
It can be an immense shock if Australia weren’t within the semi-finals within the final week of February and a shock in the event that they weren’t lifting the trophy at Newlands in Cape Town on the ultimate Sunday.
But, in England, they may maybe meet their match. A brand new “intimidating and super-aggressive” England who simply may take down the massive boss. There are loads of causes to consider Heather Knight’s group can win the T20 World Cup…
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The Women’s T20 World Cup runs from February 10 to February 26
Form
Since Jon Lewis took over as head coach in late November, England haven’t misplaced a aggressive sport. They steamrollered West Indies within the Caribbean in December, successful 8-0 throughout the codecs with three victories in one-day internationals adopted by 5 in T20Is.
England have gained 13 of their final 16 T20Is, a run that has included successes in opposition to South Africa, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and India.
You ought to maybe take warm-up outcomes with a pinch of salt however England have additionally triumphed in two of them this week, piling on 246-7 in opposition to South Africa in Stellenbosch earlier than limiting New Zealand to 114-9 from their 20 overs in Cape Town.
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Sophia Dunkley cracked half-centuries in each of England’s World Cup warm-up matches, in opposition to South Africa and New Zealand
Young blood
Since England completed runners-up to Australia within the 50-over World Cup final spring, their squad has been bolstered by 18-year-old Alice Capsey and Lauren Bell, 22. Two kids with an enormous future however who’re very a lot delivering proper now.
Capsey, earmarked for the highest since hitting a fifty in The Hundred on her Lord’s debut in 2021 on the age of 16, has simply returned from a damaged collarbone however confirmed no results of that as she clubbed a 33-ball 61 in opposition to South Africa this week from the No 3 spot.
Bell has taken 16 wickets throughout her final 5 England matches, utilizing her peak – the seamer’s lofty body has earned her the nickname The Shard – and hooping in-swing to hassle batters.
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Lauren Bell has taken 16 wickets throughout her final 5 England matches (Pic credit score – CWI Media)
Bazball
Lewis swapped the position of England males’s bowling coach for England Women’s head coach in November and instantly challenged his new group to play in the identical swashbuckling, Bazball fashion as his outdated one. “My job is to take the handbrake off.”
England expressed themselves whereas breezing previous West Indies pre-Christmas – Knight even started one innings within the Caribbean with a reverse-swept 4 – after which by thrashing runs in opposition to South Africa in Monday’s warm-up.
Capsey, Danni Wyatt and Sophia Dunkley appear excellent gamers for the brand new coverage – Dunkley drummed 59 from 19 balls in opposition to South Africa and adopted that with a 38-ball 60 versus New Zealand.
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Danni Wyatt is ready to open the batting for England in South Africa (Pic credit score – CWI Media)
The acid take a look at can be whether or not they can do this in opposition to Australia if the edges meet in South Africa, with seamer Kate Cross just lately telling Sky Sports: “For us it’s not a talent factor, it is a mindset shift.
“If you set our names and Australia’s names down on paper, I believe they’re very related skill-wise, it is simply how we apply ourselves once we are underneath strain. I believe Lewy (Jon Lewis) goes to free us up greater than something, it virtually seems like you may’t fail.”
The Sciver-Brunts
They have the identical goal – propelling England to the T20 World Cup title – and now the identical title with Nat and Katherine utilizing their married title Sciver-Brunt going ahead.
All-rounder Nat hit a whole lot in opposition to Australia in each 50-over World Cup conferences in 2022 and Lewis believes she has the flexibility to “dominate groups”.
She may even have a task to play with the ball as she helps fellow seamers Bell and Katherine Sciver-Brunt and spinners Sophie Ecclestone (extra on her in a bit), Sarah Glenn and Charlie Dean.
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Nat and Katherine Sciver-Brunt just lately confirmed off their new kits (Pic credit score: ECB)
At 37 years of age, Katherine might be enjoying in her last World Cup and can hope to bow out the way in which Lionel Messi did for Argentina within the males’s soccer World Cup in December.
England’s main T20 worldwide wicket-taker of all time – 110 in 107 video games at time of writing – has misplaced none of her power and enthusiasm and can even give it a wallop with the bat if required.
Sophie Ecclestone
If you need to beat the most effective, it helps to have the most effective and England definitely possess that in Ecclestone, the top-ranked bowler in each T20 worldwide and one-day worldwide cricket.
The left-arm spinner has 86 wickets in 65 T20Is at a mean of 16.22 and economic system fee underneath six. On the events she just isn’t taking wickets, she will be able to normally be relied upon to maintain issues tight.
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Sophie Ecclestone is the top-ranked T20 worldwide bowler on this planet
Sky Sports Cricket’s Nasser Hussain mentioned of Ecclestone: “She is extremely correct, very tall and really troublesome to get after. Being No 1 on this planet sits very comfortably together with her.
“She just isn’t an enormous spinner of the ball however T20 for spinners is so much about bowling that heavy ball into the pitch, skidding it on and concentrating on the stumps, bringing lbw and bowled into play.”
It can be no shock if Ecclestone hoovered up wickets on the World Cup – and hoovered up severe money at Monday’s IPL public sale, at which she has the best reserve worth of £50k.
Watch the 2023 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup stay on Sky Sports all through February.
South Africa vs Sri Lanka begins the event from 5pm on Friday (4.30pm on air) with England beginning on Saturday in opposition to West Indies (12.30pm on air, 1pm first ball).
