Katherine Brunt and Heather Knight will look to help England win gold as women’s cricket debuts at the Commonwealth Games
As women’s cricket prepares to make its Commonwealth Games debut in Birmingham, we look at the sides involved and assess England’s chances…
Cricket at the Commonwealth Games – what’s the deal?
The sport has been held once before, in Kuala Lumpur in 1998, with South Africa winning the men’s 50-over competition after beating Australia in the final. However, these Games mark the first inclusion for women’s cricket with an eight-team T20 tournament taking place. The MCC, ICC and England captain Heather Knight are among those hoping the Olympics will be the next step, potentially to the Los Angeles Games in 2028.
Edgbaston will host each of the 16 women’s cricket matches at Birmingham 2022
Which teams are involved and how did they qualify?
England, Australia, India, Pakistan, South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Barbados are the competing sides.
England qualified directly as hosts with the next six places occupied by the highest-ranked T20 international teams from April 2021 – Australia, India, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan and the West Indies.
Reigning 20-over and 50-over World Cup champions Australia are the team to beat at the Commonwealth Games
Which island nation would represent the West Indies would be decided by a qualifying tournament with Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, the Leeward Islands and the Windward Islands.
However, that competition was abandoned due to Covid-19 thus Barbados was given the opportunity after being the reigning champion of the West Indies women’s domestic T20 tournament, T20 Blaze.
The final place was determined by the Commonwealth Games Qualifier in Malaysia in January this year, with Sri Lanka taking that spot ahead of Bangladesh, Scotland, Malaysia and Kenya.
- Group A – Australia, Barbados, India, Pakistan
- Group B – England, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka
How the format works
Simple. Two groups of four. Each side plays the other teams in their group once. The top two in each group advance to the semi-finals with the bottom two eliminated. Every match will be played at Edgbaston.
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Nat Sciver thinks England have their ‘best chance’ of beating favorites Australia at the Commonwealth Games
When do the matches take place?
July 29 – Australia v India (11am); Barbados – Pakistan (18:00)
July 30 – New Zealand v South Africa (11am); England – Sri Lanka (18:00)
July 31 – India v Pakistan (11am); Australia – Barbados (18:00)
August 2 – England – South Africa (11:00); New Zealand – Sri Lanka (18:00)
August 3 – Australia v Pakistan (11am); Barbados – India (18:00)
August 4 – South Africa – Sri Lanka (11:00); England – New Zealand (18:00)
August 6 – Semifinals (11:00 and 18:00)
August 7 – Bronze medal match (10:00 a.m.); Gold medal match (17:00)
How will England do?
Heather Knight (captain), Nat Sciver (vice-captain), Maia Bouchier, Katherine Brunt, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Freya Davies, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones, Freya Kemp, Bryony Smith, Issy Wong, Danni Wyatt
Usually at these global women’s events, everyone plays cricket before Australia ends up lifting the trophy. The Southern Stars have won five of the seven Women’s T20 World Cups to be held, including the last two, and now seven of the dozen 50-over World Cups to be held after their victory over England in New Zealand at the beginning of this year. They are scary.
However, England have just made it six consecutive white-ball wins against South Africa – the last three of which came in the 20-over format – and are full of confidence after seeing both old and new players step up.
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Katherine Brunt became England’s leading wicket-taker in T20 internationals when she claimed South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt her 103rd scalp in the format.
Evergreen Katherine Brunt, 37, has just become her country’s leading player in T20I cricket; Sophia Dunkley and Danni Wyatt are forming a power couple at the top of the order following Tammy Beaumont’s surprise fall; Issy Wong, 20, provides the pace with the ball; and in Alice Capsey and Freya Kemp, there are two 17-year-olds with mega potential.
Off-spinner all-rounder Capsey made her debut against South Africa before hitting four consecutive fours in her next appearance, while left-arm wicketkeeper Kemp marked her international bow with two wickets. Kemp bowls fast, but she also has slower balls in her locker.
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Seventeen-year-old Alice Capsey took a wicket with her second ball on her second T20 debut against South Africa in Worcester.
England went winless against Australia during the Ashes multi-format series over the winter and then lost to the Southern Stars twice in the World Cup – in their opener and then again in the final – but the team’s current hot streak has led to stardom all. -Rounder Nat Sciver saying they have their “best chance” to finally topple Meg Lanning’s dominant team.
England’s only real concern ahead of their Commonwealth Games opener against Sri Lanka on Saturday is the fitness of captain Heather Knight, who has missed the last two T20s against South Africa as a precaution as she battles a groin complaint. for which he has now received an injection. .
‘Dream come true’ – what do the England players say?
Danny Wyatt: “To be part of the Commonwealth Games is a dream come true. I’ve always watched it, I’ve always watched the Olympics as well. It really started last week when we had match day. We’re all very excited about it. It’s definitely a good sign for the future of the Commonwealth Games.”
Captain Heather Knight: “It’s exciting and something really new for us. To be involved in a multi-sport competition that has that global reach that cricket doesn’t always have. It’s a huge opportunity for us as a side to potentially attract people who haven’t “I haven’t seen the game before.”
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Derby highlights as England beat South Africa by 38 runs in their final match before the Commonwealth Games
Katherine Brunt: “I don’t think anyone has stopped thinking about the Commonwealth Games since we were first told we were going to be in it. I’m going to give it everything I’ve got, I’m certainly not going to hold back. I’m going to have mind the gold medal every time, if it means that I break in the end, I break.
“It sounds weird, but growing up watching people at the Olympics — I know it’s not the Olympics, but it feels like the Olympics — with medals and people on podiums, I just worshiped those people and thought they were gods.”
Nat Sciver: “I think we’ve settled into how we want to play – having that aggression with the bat and the ball, especially on the power play. Hopefully that will put us in a good position for the Commonwealth Games. I think this is our chance The best [to beat Australia].”
