AUSTRALIA

Tournaments: 6

Result in 2018: Winners

Best finish: Winners (2010, ’12, ’14, ’18) ICC ranking: 1st

Form line: It’s hard to find a fault in the Aussie women’s performances over the past year – just the one loss, in a T20, after securing the Ashes in England. At times, it seemed like a grand game of one-upping each other: Beth Mooney would score a ton against Sri Lanka, then opening partner Alyssa Healy would go out and set the T20 record for high score.

What previous tournaments tell us: For the four-time champs and heavy favorites, the most instructive historical case might be the one they lost. In 2016, there was a thought the Aussies were vulnerable, coming off the workload of the first WBBL, and they finished second in the group stage, losing to New Zealand. The Meg Lanning-led team did advance to the final, but were shocked by the West Indies, who pulled off a record run chase.

Player to watch: Take your pick – Lanning,

Perry, Healy, Schutt, or any number of young players on the verge. At the last T20 World Cup in the Caribbean, Ashleigh Gardner emerged as a star, tying for leading wicket-taker in the tournament, and claiming player of the final with an all-round showing (33 with the bat, 3/22 with the ball). She’s all of 22 years old.

Expectations: And here’s the thing – the pressure this team is under will be burdensome. It’s almost a perfect storm of expectations: the greater professional rewards for female cricketers, the standards set by their results, a tournament at home, the idea that they’re playing for women’s sport in general. If there’s any consolation, the public’s expectations aren’t any greater than what this remarkable team has of itself.