Dark horses to meet each other in first assignment

India and South Africa offer the possibility of a fascinating contest as the two potential semi-finalists open their CricInfo Women's World Cup campaigns against each other tomorrow at Christchurch's Hagley Oval.

South Africa, as a team still developing from years in the apartheid cold, and India, with a dearth of international competition, are something of unknown quantities.

However, both teams have tours of England as a guide to possible performances, South Africa in June pushing the home team, going down 3-2 in a five-match one-day series, and India a year ago taking a three-match series, 2-1.

The signs from the England tour are that South Africa have come a long way since the drubbings they received when touring Australia and New Zealand early last year. Since their return to international cricket in 1995, they have competed in one World Cup, reaching the quarter finals in India in 1997.

India have played in five World Cups, finishing fourth in four and making the semi finals when they were hosts in 1997.

The Indian manager, Sreerupa Bose, talking to CricInfo, said that India was at a disadvantage through the lack of international competition. While pointing out that they had done well in England, she said that the opening match of the tournament here in New Zealand was always going to be difficult as the team made the transition from the practice to reality.

She said the team would be looking for accuracy in their performance, doing the basics correctly. She noted that a good fielding side would do well. She also confirmed India's focus on a spin attack.

However, despite being wary of the India's opening match, she predicted that as far as the tournament as a whole went: "We expect to do well."