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The women played a cricket World Cup 2 years earlier the men did. That was successful England successful 1973.
England, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, too an International XI and Young England, took part. The big won the inaugural edition, beating Australia by 92 runs successful the final.
But, not galore bothered.
The world’s archetypal recorded women’s cricket lucifer whitethorn person been played successful 1745 successful Surrey betwixt 2 villages of that county, Bramley and Hambledon, but for centuries, the women successful cricket were invisible and not getting excessively overmuch attention.
England’s World Cup heroine of 1973 had to turn and merchantability potatoes truthful that she could play cricket. The players had to thrust to their time jobs aft the game, and 1 of them was truthful exhausted, she fell dormant connected the wheel. There were occasions erstwhile their Indian sisters travelled connected bullock carts to play matches.
Today’s pistillate cricketer is flying high. And she has earned her air-ticket the hard way.
And the world’s elite women cricketers person flown down to India: for the 13th variation of the ODI World Cup, which promises to beryllium the astir followed women’s cricket lawsuit successful history. It besides promises to beryllium the closest.
Harmanpreet Kaur’s 171 not retired for India against Australia successful the semifinal of the 2017 World Cup, the BCCI taking women’s cricket nether its wings, and the WPL person each changed the crippled astir beyond recognition.
It could go adjacent bigger due to the fact that of this World Cup, which opens with the lucifer betwixt the 2 hosts, India and Sri Lanka, present astatine the Barsapara Stadium connected Tuesday.
India is 1 of the favourites, and Australia’s skipper Alyssa Healy ne'er misses an accidental to marque it a point.
Whether she likes it oregon not, the Aussies are the overwhelming favourites. They are the defending champions and are an incredibly beardown all-round side, featuring the much experienced players similar Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Ashleigh Gardner and Megan Schutt and the younger ones specified arsenic Annabel Sutherland and Phoebe Litchfield.
But, determination is thing successful what Healy said: the Women successful Blue person the players — including a Smriti Mandhana successful reddish blistery signifier — the location conditions, and the momentum to triumph a first-ever World Cup. If they negociate to bash that, it would beryllium different large boost to the crippled successful the country.
Former champion England, contempt the bid losses to Australia and India, has capable prime to beryllium a contender. South Africa and New Zealand should besides beryllium eyeing a spot successful the past four. Sri Lanka cannot beryllium taken lightly, portion Pakistan and Bangladesh would beryllium keen to outpouring a astonishment oregon two.
And remember, this World Cup offers much prize-money than the 2023 men’s ODI World Cup.
