Tight battle expected
Eight teams are set to battle it out for the biggest prize in women's cricket, when the ICC Women's World Cup gets underway on Saturday in England.
As current ICC Women's World Cup holder and six-time champion, Australia enter the competition as favourites, but face stiff competition.
Led by Meg Lanning, the outstanding batsmen in the women's game today, Australia will be looking to win their seventh title in a tournament that now features the world's top eight one-day international sides.
India will have their task cut out when they lock horns with title contenders England in the tournament opener.
Organisers will hope that any rustiness has been chipped away come the start of the tournament proper and that there is a repeat of the excitement generated during last year's women's World Twenty20 in India.
"Our last global (women's) event was won by the West Indies," International Cricket Council chief executive David Richardson told AFP during a conference call earlier this week.
"I know that it's easier to be more competitive in the Twenty20 format than it is in the 50-over one, but I think this tournament will show the talent that is available out there," the former South Africa wicket-keeper added.
A final at Lord's on July 23 will mark the culmination of 31 matches also played at county grounds in Bristol, Derby, Leicester and Taunton.
All the fixtures will be streamed live, with 10 broadcast on television in another sign of the growing global interest in women's cricket.
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