Women's World Cup 2017

Well, this is it - we’re less than 24 hours away from the start of the biggest World Cup in the history of the women’s game - and I was lucky enough to make it along to yesterday’s media drinks event to celebrate that fact. In particularly lavish surroundings at the National Liberal Club, seven of the eight captains who will be fighting it out over the next few weeks spoke to members of the media about their hopes, their dreams, and the trashy TV choices of their team mates… Heather Knight was first up. Calm and collected, she spoke of feeling “in good nick” going into the tournament, despite her recent foot injury. How are England coping with the pressure of a home World Cup? “As a group we’re trying to stay in our bubble a bit, and not let too many external things come into it. The bubble is all about concentrating on us and what we do. A lot of us have decided to come off Twitter and use social media more scarcely.” Interesting, though doesn’t quite seem to amount...

We thought we ought to put the bloggers on the spot and find out who they think will come out on top at this World Cup. So we put the same few questions to each of the bloggers who have contributed to this dedicated Women's World Cup blog. Here are their answers. But will they be cowering in a corner, or crowing like a rooster, once the competition is over in five weeks time? Who do you think will be the top run scorer? Martin Davies  : There are a few candidates, but the most consistent ODI performer over the last couple of years is Ellyse Perry , so she gets my vote. Don Miles  : For me it has to be Meg Lanning . If you are the world's best it should be you if you keep your nerve. Snehal Pradhan  : I'm going for Ellyse Perry too. Raf Nicholson  : I'm going to say Suzie Bates . She managed it last time and, if anything, she is a better player now than she was in 2013. Syd Egan  : It's got to be Meg Lanning , and I think she will have the highest indivi...