What to look out for at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup

PA Sport Staff

England will be out to end a 15-year drought at the T20 World Cup but defending champions Australia once again remain the team to beat.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the ninth staging of the event, which gets under way with a clash between nominal hosts Bangladesh and Scotland on Thursday.

Who are the hosts?

Bangladesh were originally slated to stage the tournament for a second time, having first done so in 2014.

But recent political unrest in the country led to the International Cricket Council relocating its event to the United Arab Emirates, with the Bangladesh Cricket Board keeping hosting rights.

What is the format?

General photo of Dubai International Cricket Stadium
Dubai International Cricket Stadium will stage 12 of the 23 matches, including the final (Gareth Copley/PA)

There is little margin for error in this 10-team tournament comprising just 23 matches in 18 days this month – 12 games, including the final on October 20, will be held in Dubai, with the other 11 in Sharjah.

There are two groups of five, where teams play each other once and the top two advance to the semi-finals.

Can England go all the way?

Sophie Ecclestone in action for England
Sophie Ecclestone is the top-ranked bowler in both ODIs and T20s (Nigel French/PA)

Semi-finalists in South Africa last year, England are on a roll having won all eight T20s this summer, while Nat Sciver-Brunt and Sophie Ecclestone will spearhead their bid for a first title since 2009.

It is difficult to look past six-time champions Australia, who are targeting a fourth straight crown, but a silver lining for England is they won the T20 portion of last year’s Ashes series 2-1.

What is expected of Scotland?

Kathryn Bryce in action in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy
Kathryn Bryce, right, will captain Scotland (Ben Whitley/PA)

Having sealed a place at a World Cup first time in their history, Scotland will attempt to upset the odds and win one of their Group B matches against Afghanistan, Bangladesh, England and South Africa.

Kathryn Bryce, the player of the tournament in the Charlotte Edwards Cup this year, and sister Sarah will be captain and vice-captain, while they will have several all-rounders to choose from.

Who are the ones to watch?

Hayley Matthews playing for Welsh Fire in The Hundred
Keep an eye on Hayley Matthews (Zac Goodwin/PA)

Ashleigh Gardner (Australia) Nat Sciver-Brunt (England), Jemimah Rodrigues (India), Abtaha Maqsood (Scotland), Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka), Hayley Matthews (West Indies).

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