As the Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup approaches, can anybody, even England, beat overwhelming favourites Australia?
Another year, another cricket World Cup. While it seems as if they come around quicker than ever, they do often throw up some fireworks. That is, except in the Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup, exactly the tournament that starts on Thursday in the United Arab Emirates.
Because when the 10 teams get under way in the Middle East the question that will be asked is not whether team X or Y can win it, but whether Australia can lose it.
The Southern Stars are odds-on favourites to lift a ninth title since 2010; the only non-Australian winners of this tournament have been England in 2009 and the West Indies in 2016.
The dominance of current coach Shelley Nitschke’s side is stark with even India and England – second and third favourites – almost dressed up as rank outsiders.
The Aussies have a core of star names and under new captain Alyssa Healy are hard to bet against.
And the 34-year-old leader has already got her media training down to a tee, saying: “There are no real expectations on our group this time around,” adding, “But I expect it to be a really tough tournament. All 10 teams have a shot to win it.”
It’s a good effort from Healy to downplay just how expectant the cricketing world is but the smokescreen is unconvincing.
Among those other nine teams with a “shot to win it” are debutants Scotland, Bangladesh – whose pre-tournament hosting duties were stripped from them due to unrest back home – and the usual big seven names of the cricket world.
T20 World Cup opportunities
England are officially third favourites with the bookies but have experience in beating Australia, winning the T20 portion of last year’s Women’s Ashes 2-1.
In that series, across three matches, England’s Danni Wyatt knocked 109 runs and Australia’s Beth Mooney 115, while English bowler Sophie Ecclestone got the most wickets with five.
That, then, proves the rain-hit series did not fire on all cylinders but it can be a source of some encouragement for England to fall back on.
Sharjah Cricket Stadium and Dubai International Stadium will host all T20 World Cup matches, having stepped in following the shift from Bangladesh, but there are some concerns surrounding the potential attendances across this month’s tournament.
There are opportunities to create a spark on the field, however.
“The two venues can be quite different,” said England all-rounder Freya Kemp.
“They are relatively similar but there are some subtle differences. It will be a case of who assesses the conditions quickest and adapts the best.”
For England to win a first Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup since 2009 they’ll need a solid result against Bangladesh in their opener on Friday as well as positive results on Sunday against South Africa, Scotland on 13 October and West Indies on 15 October.
If that goes to plan they’ll play a T20 World Cup semi-final and then a final, scheduled for October 20. But let’s be clear: it’s Australia’s to throw away.