The English Team versus South Africa – Women’s Global Tournament Kicks Off

Silence please! The talking is over, for now at least, and England's global campaign is set to start. On the downside, they start with a tough game versus the South African side. On the upside, they kick off with a demanding fixture opposing the Proteas. Victory today would give England instant momentum and legitimise the cautious confidence in their build-up discussions.

Pre-Tournament Momentum

An impressive triumph over Australia in their previous practice game has increased that confidence, although the personal contributions by Alice Capsey (scoring 88 not out) and Sarah Glenn (taking 5 wickets for 32 runs) gave Charlotte Edwards a slight selection headache.

Edwards has a winning mentality, so there’s no danger of England setting their sights low. However, looking broadly they are in the slightly unusual position with a well-defined expectation for the event.

Tournament Expectations

Falling short of the semis might come as a small upset, even allowing for the improvement among the traditional also-rans. Reaching the final ahead of either Australia or India, the primary frontrunners to claim the title, would be a serious achievement. Should England emerge victorious… it's best not to entertain that thought. It’s way too early for those kinds of predictions.

This fixture commences at 10:30 AM British Summer Time.