England opener Tammy Beaumont has insisted that her side’s victory over South Africa earlier in the group stage of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017 will count for nothing when the two sides face each other in the semi-finals of the tournament at the Bristol County Ground on Tuesday.
England have won six games in a row, including a 68-run victory over South Africa, following their opening defeat by India. South Africa on the other hand have won four, lost two and had one game washed out due to rain. But with a place in the Lord’s final the prize for Tuesday’s winner, Beaumont says both teams go into the game with a clean slate.
Beaumont is the tournament’s leading runs-scorer with 372 runs from her seven innings, but she believes England’s main strength is the ability for other players to step up and perform when needed.
Beaumont may be the highest scoring batter in the tournament so far, but she and England will come up against the tournament’s leading wicket taker in Dane van Niekerk.
The South Africa captain has taken 15 wickets in her six games so far in the Women’s world Cup and she believes the pressure is all on the tournament host ahead of the semi-final is Bristol.
Squads
England
Heather Knight (Captain), Tamsin Beaumont, Katherine Brunt, Georgia Elwiss, Jenny Gunn, Alex Hartley, Danielle Hazell, Beth Langston, Laura Marsh, Natalie Sciver, Anya Shrubsole, Sarah Taylor, Fran Wilson, Lauren Winfield and Danielle Wyatt.
South Africa
Dane van Niekerk (Captain), Trisha Chetty. Moseline Daniels, Nadine de Klerk, Mignon du Preez, Shabnim Ismail, Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Odine Kirsten, Masabata Klaas, Lizelle Lee, Sune Luus, Raisibe Ntozakhe, Chloe Tryon and Laura Wolvaardt.
This post was published on July 18, 2017 6:33 pm