Women's World Cup preview: South Africa

The squad: Dane van Niekerk (c), Trisha Chetty, Moseline Daniels, Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Shabnim Ismail, Nadine de Klerk, Lizelle Lee, Sune Luus, Raisibe Ntozhake, Mignon du Preez, Andrie Steyn, Chloe Tryon, Laura Wolfvaardt.

Fixtures: June 25 v Pakistan, June 28 v New Zealand, July 2 v West Indies, 5 July v England, 8 July v India, 12 July v Sri Lanka, July 15 v Australia

Best result: Semi-final (2000)

ICC ranking: 6th

The talking point: The Proteas were sweating on the fitness of skipper Dane van Niekerk after she missed their recent home Quadrangular series with a foot injury. But the allrounder was pronounced fit and named in their squad as sixth-ranked South Africa look to make the semi-finals of a World Cup for the first time since 2000.

The star: Marizanne Kapp’s reputation as one of the best quicks in the world has only grown in recent years, with the allrounder currently the No.1 ranked ODI bowler. She took just three wickets in five ODIs against Australia last year, but two of those were the huge scalp of the world’s best batter Meg Lanning – whose wicket she also claimed in the Big Bash League – and her economy rate of 4.21 demonstrated the problems she caused one of the world’s best batting line-ups with her tight lines. The English conditions will suit her ability to swing the ball, while her powerful batting down the order means Kapp possesses the sort of ex-factor that could see the Proteas snatch a semi-final berth.

The one to watch: Shabnim Ismail has returned to South Africa’s line-up with a bang after serving a six-month ban for misconduct. One of the fastest bowlers in the world, the diminutive quick is her country’s leading ODI wicket-taker and, working in partnership with Kapp, will have been the topic of much discussion from the other competing teams. 

The verdict: Tipped as the team most likely to surprise by Australia’s World Cup squad, South Africa have every right to feel confident about their chances of making the semi-finals. They beat six of the seven other competing teams at least once during the ICC Women’s Championship, and tied with the only side they couldn’t defeat: Australia. They boast a world-class pace attack – with Moseline Daniels and Ayabonga Khaka joining Ismail and Kapp - which should thrive in English conditions, while their batting line-up, which includes the experienced Mignon du Preez and explosive Lizelle Lee, who scored a ton from 89 balls against the Aussies, have shown they aren’t afraid to take the game on. Consistency has been an issue for the Proteas, as has been their ability to finish off the stronger teams when in winning positions, but they are a team to be very wary of.

Women's World Cup 2017 Guide

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

Squads: Every World Cup squad named so far

Australia's World Cup schedule

View the full tournament schedule here

Warm-up matches

June 20: Australia v South Africa, Oakham

June 22: Australia v Pakistan, Leicester

Tournament

June 26: Australia v West Indies, Taunton

June 29: Sri Lanka v Australia, Bristol

July 2: Australia v New Zealand, Bristol

July 5: Pakistan v Australia, Leicester

July 9: England vAustralia, Bristol

July 12: Australia v India, Bristol

July 15: South Africa v Australia, Taunton

July 18: First semi-final, Bristol

July 20: Second semi-final, Derby

July 23: Final, Lord's