The Women’s World Cup got off to a spectacular start on Friday morning. In a bona fide upset, West Indies won a nail-biter against the in-form hosts New Zealand, who, chasing 260, needed six to win from Deandra Dottin’s final over, but lost three wickets.
Tonight, it is champions England against favourites Australia, less than a month after they locked horns in the Ashes, plus South Africa against Bangladesh.
Seven days in hard quarantine, a short break on release, then two emphatic warm-up wins over Bangladesh and South Africa mean the disappointment of a heavy Ashes defeat – with the ODI leg lost 3-0 – already feels like a distant memory to England, according to keeper-batter Amy Jones.
“It does,” she tells Standard Sport. “A lot feels like it’s happened since then. Seven days in the room, which wasn’t one of the worst quarantines we have done. It was certainly well received news a few days in when it was cut from ten to seven.
“Then the break was really important on the back of the Ashes. We have reviewed it, parked it, learnt from it. Everyone got what they needed from the warm-up games, and now we are ready to go. In cricket, the next challenge comes along so quickly, and being here with all the build-up and excitement for a big tournament, there is no mention of the Ashes.”
Australia, as Jones says, “go into every tournament as favourites”. But England seem happy to play them first in the eight-team, round-robin format that sees four advance to the semi-finals.
You sense Jones especially would love to get one over Australia. Despite having a stellar record, she has never scored a limited overs fifty against Australia, and averages just 8.5 against them in ODIs. She had a top score of just 28 in the recent series.
“It’s a good opportunity to put a few things right from the end of the Ashes,” she says. It’s a big challenge, it always is against them.”
“Australia are always favourites, and with it being here in New Zealand, there is a lot of eyes on them. Because the last World Cup was so long ago, there may be some assumptions on the back of the Ashes. I don’t think that’s a bad place for us to be, going under the radar. There is huge confidence within the squad. And right now, the standard so high, every team can beat anyone.”
The Windies perfectly illustrated that point this morning.
Five years ago at Lord’s, Jones was in the stands watching, having been left out of the squad. There too were Kate Cross, Tash Farrant and Sophie Ecclestone, who are also all key members of this group now. Being on the outside looking in at a seminal moment for the English game. Now, at 28 and in her prime, she is using it as motivation.
“I had mixed emotions about that tournament,” she says. “It was one of the first squads I had been left out of. I’ve looked on those celebration images as something that’s bittersweet, that I’m a bit disconnected to. But seeing it, whether you were involved or not, it gives a large amount of confidence. I didn’t have that experience, but so many of the girls did.
“It’s funny because I’ve played a few games for England over quite a few years, but I’ve only played one game in a 50-over World Cup, which was my debut in India [in 2013]. They are very rare. Missing out on the one in England due to selection definitely adds to the motivation. I am just so excited about the challenge.”
