Introduction:
The Women T20 World Cup 2023 is one of the biggest events in the cricket world and with the tournament set to take place in South Africa in 2023, it is time to take a look at the teams competing and who might be the favorites to lift the trophy. This article will provide a team-by-team guide on Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa and offer betting tips for the tournament.
Group A Teams
Overview:
Australia comes into this T20 World Cup as one of the favorites to win the tournament. They have been in excellent form since the start of 2022, losing just one match, which was via a Super Over against India. 14 of the 18 matches they have played were away from home and their depth has been evident in the way they played in Meg Lanning’s absence for a good part of last year.
With Lanning back at the helm, Australia will be a strong contender for the title. They have won three of the last four T20 World Cups and will be eager to defend their title in South Africa.
Squad:
Meg Lanning (capt), Alyssa Healy (wk), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Heather Graham, Grace Harris, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham
Player to Watch:
Tahlia McGrath is a player to watch for Australia. The allrounder has emerged as a vital player for the team and has the second-most runs for the team in T20Is since the start of 2022, amassing 463 runs in 18 matches at an astonishing strike rate of 142.02.
McGrath overtook her team-mates Lanning and Mooney and Smriti Mandhana to be the No.1 T20I batter after impressive knocks of 41* and 70 against India. With her big-match temperament, McGrath is expected to have a similar performance at the World Cup.
Predicted Finish: Champions
Overview:
New Zealand has been on a positive run, even if against less robust competition than they are likely to face in the tournament. After their bronze-medal finish at the Commonwealth Games last year, they defeated West Indies 4-1, including a Super Over triumph, at home before blanking Bangladesh 3-0 in December.
The only major concern they face is over the fitness of captain Sophie Devine, who is managing a stress fracture to her foot. Encouragingly, left-arm spinner Fran Jonas returned from a calf injury sustained while at the Under-19s World Cup to bowl in warm-ups.
Squad:
Sophie Devine (capt), Suzie Bates, Bernadine Bezuidenhout, Eden Carson, Lauren Down, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Hayley Jensen, Fran Jonas, Amelia Kerr, Jess Kerr, Molly Penfold, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Lea Tahuhu
Player to Watch:
Suzie Bates is a player to watch for New Zealand. She heads into the tournament in red-hot form, scoring 293 runs in the Women’s Super-Smash with a strike rate of 128.50, which was the best among the top five run-scorers in the tournament. Her all-round form will be critical to New Zealand’s quest for a world title.
Predicted Finish: Semi-Finalists
Overview:
South Africa will be entering the Women’s T20 World Cup without their regular captain Dané van Niekerk, who was ineligible for selection after failing her two-kilometre time trial. The loss of van Niekerk, along with Lizelle Lee, Mignon du Preez, and Trisha Chetty, means that South Africa will be relying heavily on Marizanne Kapp, Sune Luus, Shabnim Ismail, Chloe Tryon, and Laura Wolvaardt.
These five players have formed the core of the squad in recent years, but their results have been mixed. Despite reaching the semi-finals in the 2020 T20 World Cup, South Africa has recently won a tri-series against India and West Indies.
Squad:
Sune Luus will be captaining South Africa for the first time in a T20 World Cup. Marizanne Kapp will be the player to watch as she has the potential to be a game-changer with her skills in both batting and bowling. Kapp was South Africa’s most impactful player in the fifty-over World Cup last year and she has already shown her abilities with the bat in the tri-series against West Indies.
Betting Tip:
South Africa has the talent to make a run in the tournament, but it will be difficult for them to reach the semi-finals with Australia and New Zealand in their group. If Kapp is used consistently in the top four, she could pose a major threat to opposition attacks.
In conclusion, the Women’s T20 World Cup is shaping up to be an exciting tournament with South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh all bringing their own challenges and strengths to the table. With the likes of Marizanne Kapp, Sune Luus, Chamari Athapaththu, and Nigar Sultana leading their teams, the tournament is sure to be a thrilling one.
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