Women’s Cricket World Cup

CRICKET – Women’s World Cup

The Australia Women’s cricket team will tonight begin their campaign to win a record seventh World Cup title, aiming, in the process, to become the first side since the Australians of 1978, 1982 and 1988 to win consecutive tournaments.

England play hosts for the third time in the tournament’s history, and will be strong contenders, particularly considering they have won both times they have hosted previously (1973 and 1993).

Australia will be looking to record back-to-back World Cup victories, following their success in India in 2013. (Indranil Mukherjee/AFP/Getty Images)

The eight teams involved (Australia, England, New Zealand, India, West Indies, South Africa, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) will play each other once, with the top four teams going through to the semi-finals. The final will be played at Lord’s in London on Sunday, July 23.

Rachael Haynes will be hoping to emulate her performance in the 2013 World Cup, where she scored 273 runs at an average of 45.50. (Getty Images)

Australia’s squad is as follows:
Meg Lanning (c), Alex Blackwell (vc), Sarah Aley, Kristen Beams, Nicole Bolton, Ashleigh Gardner, Rachael Haynes, Alyssa Healy (wk), Jess Jonassen, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Belinda Vakarewa, Elyse Villani and Amanda-Jade Wellington.

UPCOMING FIXTURES:
Australia vs West Indies at Taunton (Mon, Jun 26 at 7:30pm)
Australia vs Sri Lanka at Bristol (Thu, Jun 29 at 7:30pm)
Australia vs New Zealand at Bristol (Sun, Jul 2 at 7:30pm)
Australia vs Pakistan at Leicester (Wed, Jul 5 at 7:30pm)
Australia vs England at Bristol (Sun, Jul 9 at 7:30pm)
Australia vs India at Bristol (Wed, Jul 12 at 7:30pm)
Australia vs South Africa at Taunton (Sat, Jul 15 at 7:30pm)

*All times AEST. Times, dates and venues subject to change.