England preview: Defending champions confident of grabbing another title

Four-time World Cup winners and the defending champions, England have a strong side going into the tournament in New Zealand. One of the most successful sides in women’s ODIs since the end of the last Women’s World Cup, the team will be led by the 2017 World Cup-winning skipper Heather Knight. Veterans Nat Sciver, Katherine Brunt – Player of the Match in the last final, Anya Shrubsole and Player of the tournament in the 2017 tournament Tammy Beaumont still remain an integral part of the unit.

Several young faces have become mainstays in the England ODI unit since the last tournament including the likes of wicket-keeper Amy Jones, batter Sophia Dunkley and spinner Sophie Ecclestone among others.

England have been building towards the tournament with precise planning. Knight stated in September 2021 about building a pool of players for England to choose from for the world event.

The squad

**England squad:**Heather Knight, Tammy Beaumont, Katherine Brunt, Freya Davies, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Kate Cross, Sophie Ecclestone, Tash Farrant, Amy Jones, Emma Lamb, Nat Sciver, Anya Shrubsole, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Danni Wyatt.

**Travelling Reserves:**Lauren Bell, Mady Villiers

Their fixtures

5 March – v Australia

9 March – v West Indies

14 March – v South Africa

16 March – v India

20 March – v New Zealand

24 March – v Pakistan

27 March – v Bangladesh

[![Captains Photocall]()

"Every game like a final”: captains weigh in on World Cup chances

    CWC22

25 Feb 22](/news/2503903)

Tournament History

Best finish: Winners (1973, 1993, 2009, 2017)

Four-time title winners, England women are the defending champions of the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup, beating India in the finals at Lord’s in 2017 to win their fourth title. England’s only loss in the 2017 tournament came against India in the group stages. They beat South Africa by two wickets in the semi-final in Bristol and went on to script a memorable nine-run win in the final.

The inaugural winners of the Women’s World Cup, England won the first-ever tournament in 1973 led by Rachael Heyhoe-Flint. The skipper was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame in 2021. The award for the leading women’s cricketer every year is named after her.

20 years after England won their first trophy, they went on to win their second title at home under Karen Smithies beating New Zealand at Lord's in April 1993. They added another to their kitty before 2017, winning the tournament in 2009 in Australia, beating New Zealand again in the final.

Look out for

Tammy Beaumont

Player of the tournament in the last Women's ODI World Cup, Tammy Beaumont has continued her rich vein of form till 2022 from the top of the order. Since 2019, she's the only England batter to make more than 1000 ODI runs, averaging 48.13 with the bat including three hundreds and six fifties in 27 matches. In fact, no player has made more runs than Beaumont in women's ODIs since the end of the last World Cup. With as many as five hundreds in this duration, Beaumont also tops the century chart in women's ODIs and will be key to England's chances in New Zealand.

Key player

Kate Cross

Kate Cross, who missed the 2017 Women's ODI World Cup, is an integral part of England's ODI plans now, picking up the most wickets for them since 2019: 37 wickets at an average of 17.24 and an economy rate just above four runs per over. The only player to match her wicket tally in this time frame is Australia's Jess Jonassen, while no player has recorded more wickets. This will be the first World Cup for the 30-year old who made her debut in ODIs in 2013.

Big match

Australia – 5 March

England and Australia have together won 10 of the 11 editions of the ICC Women's ODI World Cup. The clash against the Aussies will be England's first match of the tournament, one that either side will want to win to start the tournament off on a great note. England will be aware of the fact that Australia have been much superior to them in head-to-head records in World Cups. In 17 matches to date in the Women's ODI World Cup, England have won just four. But they will be buoyed by the fact that they won the match between these sides in the last edition of the tournament.