Women’s cricket Edwards expects strong World Cup challenge from England

ENGLAND head coach Charlotte Edwards believes reaching the World Cup final would be a “real success” for the team and insisted there was “real progress” within the group.

- Rebecca JOHNSON

With the tournament set to begin in the autumn, England concluded their summer with a 2-1 one-day international series defeat against India at Chester-Le-Street after losing by 13 runs, thanks to a brilliant effort with the bat from Harmanpreet Kaur.

The India captain smashed 102 off 84 balls and a half-century from Jemimah Rodrigues - along with scores of 45 from Smriti Mandhana and Harleen Deol - helped the visitors reach 318-5.

Nat Sciver-Brunt and Emma Lamb led the recovery effort for the hosts with a mammoth 162-run partnership, but a quick loss of four wickets in the final five overs saw India ease to victory.

England's next target is the World Cup, where they play their opening game against South Africa in October and Edwards insisted her side were going to the tournament to “really compete”