Jones propels England to commanding triumph over the White Ferns
It is "absolutely certain" that England are destined for the Women's World Cup final, stated former spinner Alex Hartley after Nat Sciver-Brunt's side decisively beat New Zealand to conclude the group stage.
Their success enabled England finish second in the table trailing title holders Australia, and they are scheduled to meet South Africa in the initial semi-final clash on Wednesday.
They will compete in Guwahati, the same venue where England overpowered the Proteas in their initial game by bowling them out for only 69.
"England will bring so much confidence into their encounter against South Africa," Alex Hartley, a 2017 champion, shared with the broadcast.
"This location suits their bowling attack, the spin-friendly surfaces and the approach they use their spin bowlers.
"My instinct tells me, and there is complete conviction that England will defeat South Africa and advance to the final."
Resolving Early Struggles
England have dealt with some stutters with the batting during the tournament, notably against weaker opponents Bangladesh and Pakistan, but have also shown improvement under pressure by narrowly defeating tournament co-hosts in a nail-biting finish.
On the other hand, South Africa finished their group stage with a brutal defeat by Australia, experiencing another innings meltdown to spin bowling as they were skittled for 97, but the former spinner also cautioned that England ought not to disregard their opponents without caution.
"England are a better team, but that does not mean that South Africa can't have their success.
"We have seen it in the T20 World Cup when they ousted Australia last year, so England cannot approach the game overconfident - but they are the better side."
The England women's team have overcome South Africa in the final four of the last two tournaments of the competition, before their historic triumph over India at Lord's in 2017 and setback by Australia in 2022.
Bowling Prowess
The English bowling attack has stood out since the start of the competition, especially the spin bowling unit of Sophie Ecclestone, Linsey Smith and Charlie Dean - though they will be nervously waiting on the health of the first-mentioned after she injured her shoulder against the Kiwi side.
Their batting order raised more questions but openers Tammy Beaumont and Amy Jones, who added their fourth stand of 50-plus at Visakhapatnam on Sunday, have started to find their groove at a ideal time.
"Many have raised a lot of doubts about the opening pair at the start of the batting being able to handle the in-swinging ball," Hartley continued.
"Tammy has made a shift and is batting on off-stump now and she appears a lot more comfortable. She would have wanted to make a bigger contribution against New Zealand but that opening partnership is just beginning to click as we are entering the nitty gritty.
"That's what you want - you want to be playing your best cricket as you are entering the final rounds."
Lineup Adjustments
The captain and Sciver-Brunt have been consistent throughout but there are still question marks over the middle order, which coach Charlotte Edwards reshuffled against New Zealand but they were not required in the eight-wicket win.
Emma Lamb, who struggled at the sixth position with a modest return in five innings, was left out for her replacement while the young batter was positioned to appear at number five in place of seven, exchanging places with the underperforming Sophia Dunkley.
The squad should be equipped to modify their game as they revisit the spin-conducive pitch of Guwahati from the more batting-friendly surfaces of Indore and Vizag, while India and Australia battle in the second semi in Navi Mumbai, which is also hosting the championship match on November 2.
