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The 2nd bracket of the expanded 12-team ICC women’s T20 World Cup mightiness look lighter connected enactment erstwhile compared to the Group of Death featuring heavyweights Australia, India and South Africa. Group B pits inaugural victor England, holder New Zealand, erstwhile champion West Indies, Sri Lanka, Scotland and Ireland successful a six-way tussle for the 2 semifinal slots.
Nat Sciver-Brunt’s England volition beryllium 1 to ticker for reasons acold beyond the pitch. As host, the England and Wales Cricket Board has packed an ambitious selling run to boost the women’s crippled and volition beryllium heavy helped if the location squad does well.
Charlotte Edwards, who lifted the first-ever Women’s T20 World Cup trophy astatine Lord’s 17 years ago, is present hoping to replicate her feat arsenic coach. But batting inconsistencies and line-up disorder basal successful the way. A 2-1 bid triumph implicit India starring up to the showpiece would person been a changeable successful the arm.
England has ne'er mislaid a location World Cup crossed formats and volition anticipation that grounds stays intact.
New Zealand whitethorn person surrendered 1-2 to England successful a bilateral bid a fewer weeks ago, but White Ferns should not beryllium underestimated. They benefited from spirited performances and elder players stepping up to the job, coinciding with different teams making fatal errors successful a tourney stingy with its 2nd chances, successful the past edition.
Old issues stay successful 2026, too. The batting bid tin beryllium rather fickle and ever truthful often autumn backmost connected the ever-dependent Sophie Devine. But with a caller captain, Amelia Kerr — the Player-of-the-Series successful the 2024 variation — the Kiwis volition privation to spell backmost to back, peculiarly to springiness elder pros Devine, Suzie Bates and Lea Tahuhu — who volition bow retired of the format aft this tourney — a fitting farewell.
West Indies won’t find it casual to repetition its 2016 heroics, not with Chamari Athapaththu’s Sri Lanka, Scotland and Ireland breathing down its cervix successful the radical stage. But if rainfall delays that person interrupted the warm-ups endure during the tournament, the Windies person the firepower to beryllium connected the favourable broadside of Net Run Rate conversations.
Scotland and Ireland are astatine a disadvantage of not playing afloat subordinate nations arsenic often arsenic they mightiness similar to truly measurement their strengths. That said, they volition support a top-eight decorativeness successful caput to fastener automatic qualification for the adjacent World Cup to beryllium hosted by Pakistan.
This variation volition person the astir fig of European teams (four) successful immoderate World Cup and fixed geographical proximity, teams tin expect crowds to rise the roof.
England, though, volition anticipation that with this marquee lawsuit to beryllium followed by a historical Test against Harmanpreet Kaur & Co. astatine Lord’s, and The Hundred, women’s cricket gains greatly. A shiny summation to its trophy furniture volition beryllium the icing connected the cake.
