The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the schedule for the 2022 Women’s World Cup which will be held in New Zealand on Tuesday. The tournament, which was initially scheduled to be played from February to March 2021 in New Zealand, was postponed to 2022 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The ICC Women’s World Cup was played in 2017 in England and the hosts emerged victorious with a tense nine-run win against India at Lord’s. This time, England will open their campaign against multiple-time champions Australia on March 5 at Seddon Park in Hamilton. India, the runners-up from 2005 and 2017, will begin their campaign on March 6 and March 12 against teams from the ICC World Cup qualifiers while their major match will be on March 16 against England at the Bay Oval in Tauranga. India will take on Australia on March 19 at Eden Park, Auckland while they will end their league stages against South Africa on March 27 at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch. In between on March 22, they will play another match with a qualifying team in Hamilton.
A bumper opening match in Tauranga featuring New Zealand and a qualifier on Friday, 4 March. Tauranga also hosts the rematch of the 2017 Women’s Cricket World Cup final at Lord’s with England up against India on Wednesday, 16 March. Dunedin’s University Oval, the home of global superstar Suzie Bates, to host three pool matches, with reigning champions England, hometown favourites, New Zealand and South Africa on show. Hamilton’s Seddon Park will host seven pool matches, with staunch rivals Australia and England kicking off the city’s matches. India and South Africa will both take on New Zealand in Hamilton.
The iconic Basin Reserve will host a Trans-Tasman showdown between Australia and New Zealand on Sunday, 13 March, as well as five other pool matches and the first semi-final of the tournament. A massive double-header weekend in Auckland sees India taking on Australia on Saturday, 19 March. Christchurch to host the final on 3 April under lights at Hagley Oval on the back of three pool matches and a semi-final. This will be the first time that the Women’s World Cup final will be held in the night.
Massive inspiration
Mithali Raj, the Indian women’s cricket team ODI skipper, has led India to two finals and the veteran, considered as one of the greatest woman cricketers of all time, says a win for India in the 2022 world Cup in New Zealand will be a massive inspiration for women cricketers in India as well as for the next generation.
“We have all been through a very difficult year and are happy to be getting back at playing the game we all love. India has been doing very well at ICC tournaments in the past three or four years, whether you talk about the (ODI) World Cup or the recently concluded T20 World Cup, and if we manage to win the tournament in 2022, it will be a massive inspiration for the next generation of girls, as the fifty-over format, is considered the pinnacle for any cricketer. I can assure you the team and I are looking forward to it,” Mithali Raj said.
Schedule
Bay Oval, Tauranga
Fri 04 Mar 2022 New Zealand v Qualifier*
Sun 06 Mar 2022 Qualifier v India*
Tue 08 Mar 2022 Australia v Qualifier *
Fri 11 Mar 2022 Qualifier v South Africa*
Mon 14 Mar 2022 South Africa v England*
Wed 16 Mar 2022 England v India*
Fri 18 Mar 2022 Qualifier v Qualifier
University Oval, Dunedin
Sat 05 Mar 2022 Qualifier v South Africa
Mon 07 Mar 2022 New Zealand v Qualifier
Wed 09 Mar 2022 Qualifier v England
Seddon Park, Hamilton
Sat 05 Mar 2022 Australia v England*
Thu 10 Mar 2022 New Zealand v India*
Sat 12 Mar 2022 Qualifier v India*
Mon 14 Mar 2022 Qualifier v Qualifier
Thu 17 Mar 2022 New Zealand v South Africa*
Mon 21 Mar 2022 Qualifier v Qualifier*
Tue 22 Mar 2022 India v Qualifier*
Basin Reserve, Wellington
Sun 13 Mar 2022 New Zealand v Australia
Tue 15 Mar 2022 Australia v Qualifier
Tue 22 Mar 2022 South Africa v Australia
Thu 24 Mar 2022 South Africa v Qualifier
Fri 25 Mar 2022 Qualifier v Australia
Sun 27 Mar 2022 England v Qualifier
Wed 30 Mar 2022 Semi-Final 1
Eden Park, Auckland
Sat 19 Mar 2022 India v Australia*
Sun 20 Mar 2022 New Zealand v England
Hagley Oval, Christchurch
Thu 24 Mar 2022 England v Qualifier*
Sat 26 Mar 2022 New Zealand v Qualifier
Sun 27 Mar 2022 India v South Africa*
Thu 31 Mar 2022 Semi-Final 2*
Sun 03 Apr 2022 FINAL*
