Nat Sciver-Brunt could face challenges in securing a World Cup triumph this summer.

In a football sweepstake run by team-mate Issy Wong, the England captain picked the underdogs Curacao. Her odds of success look set to rise from that point onward.

As football action builds in North America and Ben Stokes' future as England captain draws attention at home, Sciver-Brunt's group begins their home T20 World Cup campaign versus Sri Lanka on Friday at Edgbaston.

With strong competition for attention, this marks an important occasion for the England side and the wider sport in the UK.

It has been 15 months since England appointed Charlotte Edwards, along with Sciver-Brunt, and the scale of the job facing the coach and captain should not be underestimated.

England claimed victory in all four Women's World Cups staged on home soil, a sequence dating back to 1973. Yet they have not lifted any of the last six titles across both T20 and 50-over versions.

A lack of medals at the 2022 Commonwealth Games plus five unsuccessful Ashes defenses highlight a tough period for the women's team.

Recent discussions have centered on matching the achievements of the Lionesses and Red Roses, who secured football and rugby union titles at home in 2022 and 2025.

Those teams overcame notable hurdles, though perhaps fewer than those posed by Australia's strong production of female players, India's resources and depth, or South Africa, who have appeared in three successive world finals and sense their moment has arrived.

This will prove far from simple.

Still, a building feeling of progress surrounds this England group.

Edwards, the former captain who was surprisingly omitted ahead of the previous home World Cup, has handled fitness concerns that affected the closing stages of Jon Lewis' tenure after taking the role following the 2024-25 Ashes defeat.

An underwhelming 50-over World Cup last autumn occurred, yet recent series victories against New Zealand and India have raised hopes and belief.

Across six matches in May and early June, Alice Capsey shifted from reserve batter to a key middle-order presence, while Wednesday's half-century for Sciver-Brunt after six weeks sidelined by a calf issue provided another positive sign.

Seam bowling all-rounders Freya Kemp and Dani Gibson, the standout new faces from last year's 50-over exit, have brought renewed energy and equilibrium to the squad.

Kemp's 39 not out from 13 deliveries against India in Bristol, when England trailed 1-0 in the series and stood at 117-4 in the 17th over, may prove a pivotal moment in hindsight.

From that difficult spot, England forced a series level and then secured the win convincingly in Taunton.

The key issue now is whether this signals lasting improvement or another temporary high after bilateral successes that faded in World Cup pressure situations.

On a wider scale, the tournament arrives at an intriguing stage for women's cricket.

Scotland have reached the event for the second time and target an initial victory here, after defeating Pakistan and Bangladesh in warm-up matches. Ireland also overcame Pakistan, Bangladesh and West Indies.

Both join England in their group alongside the Windies, Sri Lanka and New Zealand, making surprises likely.

Strong feelings are anticipated in the coming weeks, with New Zealand's standout all-rounder Suzie Bates confirming this month ends her international career. Australian great Alyssa Healy stepped away earlier this year.

Might former England captain Heather Knight, who is already planning ahead with a management position in The Hundred, do the same? A shift in leadership appears near.

Victory this summer would provide a suitable close for Knight, a transformative presence in the modern era.

She guided England to success in the 2017 Lord's final, though the group phase that year took place in Leicester, Derby, Taunton and Bristol.

This edition keeps Bristol but adds Lord's, The Oval, Old Trafford, Headingley, Southampton and Edgbaston - some of the nation's premier and biggest cricket grounds.

These locations highlight the major expansion of the women's game during Knight's time while also posing a test for the event.

Although ticket sales exceeded the prior record for a Women's T20 World Cup - the 136,549 from the 2020 event in Australia - more than a month before the first ball, sparse crowds may still draw comment at certain fixtures.

Organizers aim for this tournament to reach the wider public and motivate a new generation, similar to the impact from the Lionesses and Red Roses successes.

England aim to start strongly and generate early interest.

"There is added pressure from all directions," Sciver-Brunt noted on Thursday.

"As the host nation, my first home World Cup in charge, the Lionesses and Red Roses achieving so much in their home events over recent years, the current state of women's cricket - the list continues when considering sources of pressure.

"We view that pressure as a privilege at a time when women's cricket seeks a stage to grow and thrive."

English cricket did not fully build on Knight's 2017 success.

Full-time domestic contracts arrived three years later and The Hundred platform emerged only in 2021.

As Sciver-Brunt notes, the platform exists now. This offers a vital chance for the sport to capitalize fully.