England bid to keep World Cup title defence alive in huge South Africa clash

MATCH CENTRE | STANDINGS

• Match 13: South Africa Women v England Women
• Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui
• Monday 14 March, 14:00 Local Time

The 2017 World Champions lost to Australia in their opening game of the 2022-edition of the tournament, before suffering a shock defeat to West Indies last time out.

And a third-straight loss would leave England facing the likelihood of missing out on a semi-final place, with another defeat meaning the possibility of making the top four would be completely out of their hands.

But beating Monday’s opponents South Africa will be no easy feat, with the Proteas ranked a spot above England at number two in the ICC Women’s ODI Rankings.

"I think we need to have a knockout mindset now," England captain Heather Knight said. "the game against South Africa is crucial to our World Cup hope, so we have to bring that mindset of needing to win every game and that simplifies things, doesn't it?

“Hopefully, that'll sharpen people's minds to what we need to do because, at the moment, we're fighting for our lives in this tournament.

“We have lost games before, and we know that we can't dwell on defeat too much. Particularly, close defeats. They can sometimes be a little bit tricky to park, but we have got to make sure we park them, take what we need to, and go into the next game and give it everything."

The most recent ODI meetings between these sides came back in 2018 when South Africa toured England, winning a three-match ODI series 2-1.

And the South Africans can pull level at the top of the Group Stage Standings with a third straight win at the start of their campaign, a scenario that would put them in an extremely strong position to make the semi-finals.

THE TEAMS

**England Squad:**Heather Knight (c), Tammy Beaumont, Katherine Brunt, Freya Davies, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Kate Cross, Sophie Ecclestone, Tash Farrant, Amy Jones, Emma Lamb, Nat Sciver (vc), Anya Shrubsole, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Danni Wyatt. Travelling Reserves: Lauren Bell, Mady Villiers

South Africa Squad: Suné Luus (c), Chloé Tryon (vc), Ayabonga Khaka, Lara Goodall, Laura Wolvaardt, Lizelle Lee, Marizanne Kapp, Masabata Maria Klaas, Mignon du Preez, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Shabnim Ismail, Sinalo Jafta, Tazmin Brits, Trisha Chetty, Tumi Sekhukhune. Travelling reserves: Andrie Steyn, Nadine de Klerk, Raisibe Ntozakhe

CWC22 DREAM11 FANTASY WATCH

Captaincy Pick – Natalie Sciver

So often considered a generational talent in English cricket, Natalie Sciver’s international record has been good but not as great as her potential could see her reach. But if she clicks then the 29-year-old could be one of the dominant batters at the tournament, and her outstanding century in the loss to Australia hinted that she’s at the top of her game at precisely the right moment for England.

Must have – Ayabonga Khaka

One of the less-heralded members of South Africa’s excellent bowling unit, Khaka’s four-wicket haul against Bangladesh was a reminder that the 29-year-old is among the world’s best bowlers. And she followed it up with two more in the win over Pakistan, as well as executing a crucial run-out. The right-arm quick is now up to sixth in the ICC ODI Bowling Rankings, one spot below her compatriot Shabnim Ismail.

KEY PLAYERS

**Tammy Beaumont -**The England opener always seems to save herself for the big occasion, so expect to see the 30-year-old score plenty of runs in New Zealand. Beaumont topped the scoring charts at the 2017 ICC Women's Cricket World Cup with a whopping 410 runs and looked to be in good touch during the Ashes series against Australia.

Marizanne Kapp - Rated as the third-best allrounder on the ICC Women's ODI rankings, Kapp is a player to keep a close eye on in New Zealand. The 32-year-old recently played a pivotal role in helping the Perth Scorchers claim the WBBL title and is just as capable in 50-over cricket. Kapp can also be quite effective with the bat, with her middle-order hitting a strength for the South African side.

THE VENUE

This game is one of seven matches scheduled to be held at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui over the course of the tournament.

The 10,000-seater stadium has hosted international fixtures since 2014, nine years after it was officially opened in Blake Park.

TOURNAMENT FORMAT

All eight teams at the tournament will play each other across seven rounds in a league format.

The top four teams in the standings after the conclusion of the Group Stage will qualify for the semi-finals, which will be held in the final week of March.

LATER FIXTURES

England’s remaining tournament fixtures:

16 March v India
20 March v New Zealand
24 March v Pakistan
27 March v Bangladesh

South Africa’s remaining tournament fixtures:

17 March v New Zealand
22 March v Australia
24 March v West Indies
27 March v India