Quick note before we dive in…how good is the SA20?! I was on the fence about how entertaining yet another T20 franchise league would be, but there just seems to be something about South African’s and their sport.
After some disgraceful crowd numbers in Australia at the World Cup (India / Pak excluded), watching the SA20 with packed out arenas, and flash to go in hand, has been really enjoyable! Is it the second best behind IPL?…The Big Bash finale was hardly the best it could be with the likes of Labuschagne, Khawaja, Cam Green, and Ashton Agar all unavilable. Food for thought for the world Franchise competitions.
Moving on to today’s topic — Women’s T20 World Cup
The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup is set to start on February 10th, and promises to be a thrilling tournament featuring the best teams in women’s cricket. The tournament will take place in South Africa and will feature ten teams battling it out for the coveted title of T20 world champion.
The long standing members of our FanCraze community will recall some of the first quality coverage of FanCraze in real life cricket came at the women's World Cup in 2022 — check out the below as an example.
The platform has progressed significantly since then, adding what is now the main focus of the majority of collectors on a day-to-day basis — Flash.
I strongly suspect we shall see a carnival of flash games for the Women’s world cup — but I wont (cant) speculate on that more until we have some details.
If i get enough feedback / requests on a preview of squads vs current moments, then i might do one more.
In the meantime this preview will take a look at some of the key players for each side and predict which teams are most likely to lift the trophy.
The Big 3
No nonsense here — the Women’s World Cup promises to be a highly competitive tournament, but the trio of Australia, England, and India represent the most dangerous sides in the competition.
England:
Key Players:
Alice Capsey (batting) — No moments available — Potential injury concern
Katherine Brunt (bowling) — Common Available
England are the second ranked team in the world and will be looking to lift their first title since 2009. They have a strong batting lineup, with Alice Capsey adding a tremendous amount of aggression. Capsey is a dangerous hitter, capable of taking the game away from the opposition in matter of overs — fitness will be the major concern given a broken collarbone in December of last year . Katherine Brunt is a seasoned bowler and is one of England’s key weapons in the bowling department. She recently retired from county cricket, packed up test cricket in 2022 as well…one wonders if this is the last hurrah for England Womens leading white ball wicket taker.
Australia
Key Players:
Alyssa Healy (batting) — Epic and Common moments Available
Tahlia McGrath (bowling) — Common Available
Australia are one of the most successful teams in women’s sports. No doubt they will be looking to continue their dominance and add another title to their impressive list of achievements. Alyssa Healy is one of the most destructive batters in the world and is capable of taking the game away from the opposition in no time. Perhaps one of the real emerging talents in the last 12 months has been Tahlia McGrath — early in her career she has established herself as world-class bowler and will be looking to lead the Australian attack with her pace and swing.
India
Key Players:
Smriti Mandhana (batting) — Common and Rare moments available
Renuka Singh (bowling) — No Moments available
India are one of the strongest teams in the tournament and will be looking to go one step further than their runner-up finish in the previous edition. Smriti Mandhana is India’s star batter and is known for her aggressive style of play. She will be looking to provide India with a strong start in the tournament. Renuka Singh was the ICC emerging player of the year and has shown her abilities on some of the biggest stages already, such as the commonwealth games.
The Rest of the Pack
South Africa:
Key Players:
Sune Luus(batting) — Epic and Common Moments available
Marizanne Kapp (bowling) — Common
The big news here was the omission of Captain, all-round star, Dane van Niekerk, at a home World Cup no less, because……she missed a 2Km time trial by 18 seconds. Eeek.
One way to divert attention would be to make a deep run in the tournament. In the absence of Van Niekerk, Sune Luus has been made captain. How she leads under this kind of internal drama and pressure of a host nation will be fascinating to watch. Marizanne Kapp is a seasoned all-rounder and could be the fulcrum around which SA operate…the awkward news….she is married to Van Nierkerk and has been taking leave as a result of the decision to drop her. EEEEK.
West Indies
Key Players:
Stafanie Taylor (batting) — No Moments Available
Hayley Matthews (All Round) — Rare and Commons Available
The West Indies are the only side to lift the trophy outside of the Aussies and English. Having said that, this could be a tough run for the side. The loss of the hardest hitting women’s player on the planet Deandra Dottin, to retirement, as an example epitomizes their issues. Stafanie Taylor is returning from injury, and hopefully bolsters a side in much need of batting stability. Hayley Matthews takes the reins as captain, and will play a key role in both batting and bowling.
Sri Lanka:
Key Players:
Chamari Athapaththu (batting) — Common moment available
Inoka Ranaweera (bowling) — No Moments available
Sri Lanka finished in the last tournament, lacking real quality to support their main contributors. Chamari Atapattu is Sri Lanka’s star batter and has the ability to score quickly and take the game away from the opposition. Inoka Ranaweera is a nearing the end of her career, but was the first Sri Lankan women to take a hattrick.
New Zealand:
Key Players:
Sophie Devine (batting) — Epic and Common moments available(time to bring back the OTS memories ;) )
Lea Tahuhu (bowling) — Common moment available
New Zealand will be looking to make more of an impression than their home World Cup and progress deeper into the tournament. Sophie Devine is one of the best all-rounders in the world and will be key to New Zealand’s success. She has the ability to score quickly and take wickets with her accurate bowling. Lea Tahuhu is a pace bowler and will be leading the New Zealand attack with her pace and swing.
Pakistan:
Key Players:
Bismah Maroof (batting) — Rare Moment Available
Nashra Sandhu (bowling) — No Moment Available
Pakistan will be looking to make their mark on the tournament and cause some upsets along the way. Bismah Maroof is Pakistan’s star batter and has the ability to anchor the innings with her steady batting. Nashra Sandhu is a promising young spinner and will be looking to take wickets and put pressure on the opposition.
Bangladesh:
Key Players:
Nigar Sultana (batting) — No Moments Available
Bangladesh will be looking to build on their pre competition success after beating Ireland in qualifiers. Nigar Sultana is their all time run scorer and will be key.
Ireland:
Key Players:
Laura Delany (batting) — No Moments Available
Ireland will be looking to make an impact in the tournament and cause some upsets along the way. Laura Delany is Ireland’s star batter and has the ability to anchor the innings with her steady batting. The loss of their best bowler, Kim Garth, to Australia will surely impact the side.
Cheers — til next time.
CraigSnax
