A 12-team competition where the teams are split into two pools of six ought to be without a 'group of death'.But women's cricket heavyweights Australia, India and South Africa are all in Group One and, with only the top two advancing to the semi-finals, one of the trio will be heading home before a knockout phase that culminates in a Lord's final on July 5.A Group Two featuring defending champions New Zealand and England looks more straightforward, albeit both teams will be wary of the West Indies, tournament winners back in 2016 but rarely hitting such heights in recent times.Meanwhile, Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands will all fly the flag for European cricket alongside established Asian nations such as Pakistan and Sri Lanka.The growth of white-ball competitions such as Australia's Big Bash, England's Hundred and India's Women's Premier League means top female cricketers are now exposed to top-level competition outside of major international tournaments as never before. Australia have dominated the women's game for decades, but for the first time since 2018 the six-time T20 champions do not have global silverware to defend.'Evolved'
Australia captain Sophie Molineux © JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP
