Women's T20 World Cup: Australia and England start their campaign
The Women's T20 World Cup is set to witness two exciting matches on October 5. The first game will see Australia, led by Alyssa Healy, take on Sri Lanka under the captaincy of Chamari Athapaththu. The match is scheduled for 3:30pm IST in Sharjah. Later in the day, at 7:30pm, England will clash with Bangladesh in another thrilling encounter. Here are the details.
AUS-W vs SL-W: A look at the tournament form guide
Australia enter the match after defeating England and West Indies in warm-up games, while Sri Lanka suffered a loss to Pakistan in their tournament opener. The Australian team has never been defeated by Sri Lanka in T20Is, with their last encounter resulting in a 10-wicket victory for Australia at the 2023 T20 World Cup. However, Healy has expressed caution about Athapaththu's potential impact on the game.
Bangladesh vs England: A look at the tournament form guide
In the second match of the day, Bangladesh will face a formidable England side. The Bangladeshi team started their World Cup campaign on a high note with a 16-run victory over Scotland, while England bounced back from a 33-run loss to Australia in their warm-up match by defeating New Zealand by five wickets. Both teams are expected to field strong line-ups for this crucial encounter.
England's strategy and team composition
England's team is more aggressive than their 2023 version and has a fully fit squad to choose from. They are expected to field three frontline spinners for a pitch that aided turn on the opening day. The return of left-arm spinner Linsey Smith bolsters their bowling attack, which also includes Sophie Ecclestone, Charlie Dean, Sarah Glenn, and Alice Capsey with her handy part-time offbreaks.
Mooney and Ecclestone are players to watch out for
Player of the Tournament in the 2023 edition, Beth Mooney, suffered a few low scores in the lead up to the T20 World Cup. She has also not managed to go past 15 in her five T20I innings. She will be hungry for runs. England's Ecclestone is a key player in the ranks. She owns 126 wickets in WT20Is at an average of 14.65.
A look at England and Australia's squads
England squad: Heather Knight (capt), Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Danielle Gibson, Sarah Glenn, Bess Heath, Amy Jones (wk), Freya Kemp, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Linsey Smith, Danni Wyatt. Australia squad: Alyssa Healy (capt & wk), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham, Tayla Vlaeminck.
