Women's Cricket World Cup: When are the games on? How does it work? Who are the title favourites?

England Women are aiming to successfully defend the 50-over Cricket World Cup - and you can watch each of their games live on Sky Sports.

Heather Knight's team kick off their campaign in New Zealand on March 5 as they once again do battle with Australia, weeks after sliding to a 12-4 Ashes defeat to Meg Lanning's Southern Stars.

Live ICC Women's World Cup

• Sciver's century helps England to big win over Bangladesh in WC warm-up

England then face West Indies and South Africa, before a rematch of the 2017 final occurs as they meet India, the side they sunk by nine runs at Lord's on an unforgettable Sunday afternoon five years ago.

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Knight's side conclude the group phase with fixtures against New Zealand, Pakistan and Bangladesh, after which they will be hoping to play in the semi-finals and, ultimately, the final in Christchurch on April 3.

England's World Cup fixtures

Every game from the World Cup is live on Sky Sports but here are the England fixtures to ink into your diary...

vs Australia in Hamilton - 1am UK time, March 5
vs West Indies in Dunedin - 10pm UK time, March 8
vs South Africa in Mount Maunganui - 10pm UK time, March 14
vs India in Mount Maunganui - 1am UK time, March 16
vs New Zealand in Auckland - 10pm UK time, March 19
vs Pakistan in Christchurch - 1am UK time, March 24
vs Bangladesh in Wellington - 10pm UK time, March 26

England Women's World Cup squad

Heather Knight (captain), Nat Sciver (vice-captain), Tammy Beaumont, Katherine Brunt, Kate Cross, Freya Davies, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Tash Farrant, Amy Jones, Emma Lamb, Anya Shrubsole, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Danni Wyatt. Reserves: Lauren Bell, Mady Villiers.

How does the tournament work?

The eight teams - England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and West Indies - will play each other once in the round-robin stage, with the top four advancing to the semi-finals on March 30 and 31, in Wellington and Christchurch respectively.

Where are the games being played?

The Women's Cricket World Cup - being staged in New Zealand for the third time, after 1982 and 2000 - will be played across six venues:

• Hagley Oval (Christchurch)
• Eden Park (Auckland)
• Bay Oval (Mount Maunganui)
• Seddon Park (Hamilton)
• Basin Reserve (Wellington)
• University Oval (Dunedin)

What happens if Covid-19 hits?

Teams will be able to fulfil fixtures with as little as nine players should they choose, with two female members of support staff acting as substitute fielders. Those substitute fielders would not be allowed to bat or bowl.

Sides can reject the option to play with nine players and, if a game is not able to be played or rescheduled, it will be abandoned with teams picking up one point each.

Teams in the World Cup carry squads of 15 with up to three travelling reserves. The strict quarantine rules in New Zealand - visitors currently face a week-long stint in hotel quarantine upon arrival - means there is little chance of sides being able to replace members of their squad hit by Covid.

Any Super Overs?

We could have unlimited, in theory, with ICC head of events Chris Tetley confirming there would be no repeat of the boundary-countback rule which allowed England to beat New Zealand in the 2019 men's 50-over World Cup final. If sides are all square after a Super Over, play will carry on with another until a winner is decided.

Who are the title favourites?

That would be Australia - as it so often is in global women's cricket events. The Southern Stars are fresh off thrashing England in the multi-format Ashes series, with Lanning's side winning each of the three ODIs.

That trio of victories means Australia have now won 29 of their last 30 ODIs, with their only blemish in that time coming at home to India last September as their world-record winning sequence in the format was snapped at 26.

Australia have won the Women's World Cup a record six times - twice more than England - and will probably take some stopping this time around, even though they were defeated five years ago.

What happened in 2017?

It was not to be for Australia, who were dumped out in the semi-finals by a Harmanpreet Kaur-inspired India - Harmanpreet scoring a spellbinding 171 not out from 115 balls in a 36-run win for her side.

In the final, though, it was an Anya Shrubsole-inspired England who prevailed, having previously appeared on the brink of defeat.

India were 191-3 in the 43rd over, chasing 229 for victory, and appeared on course for their maiden title.

But Shrubsole then instigated a collapse of 7-28, taking five wickets and completing a run out in that time, as India were bowled out for 219 in 48.4 overs and England won their fourth World Cup after success in 1973, 1993 and 2009.

Full squad lists for 2022 World Cup

AUSTRALIA: Meg Lanning (captain), Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Grace Harris, Rachael Haynes Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Amanda-Jade Wellington. Travelling reserves: Heather Graham, Georgia Redmayne.

BANGLADESH: Nigar Sultana Joty (captain), Fahima Khatun, Fargana Hoque Pinky, Fariha Islam Trisna, Jahanara Alam, Lata Mondol, Murshida Khatun, Nahida Akter, Ritu Moni, Rumana Ahmed, Salma Khatun, Shamima Sultana, Shanjida Akther Maghla, Sharmin Akter Supta, Sobhana Mostary, Suraiya Azmin.

INDIA: Mithali Raj (captain), Taniya Bhatia, Yastika Bhatia, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Richa Ghosh, Jhulan Goswami, Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Sneh Rana, Deepti Sharma, Meghna Singh, Renuka Singh, Pooja Vastrakar, Shafali Verma, Poonam Yadav. Standby players: Simran Bahadur, Ekta Bisht, Sabbhineni Meghana.

NEW ZEALAND: Sophie Devine (captain), Suzie Bates, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Hayley Jensen, Fran Jonas, Jess Kerr, Amelia Kerr, Frankie Mackay, Rosemary Mair, Katey Martin, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Amy Satterthwaite, Lea Tahuhu.

PAKISTAN: Bismah Maroof (captain), Aiman Anwar, Aliya Riaz, Anam Amin, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Ghulam Fatima, Javeria Khan, Muneeba Ali, Nahida Khan, Nashra Sandhu, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz. Travelling reserves: Iram Javed, Najiha Alvi Tuba Hassan.

SOUTH AFRICA: Tazmin Brits, Trisha Chetty, Mignon du Preez, Lara Goodall, Shabnim Ismail, Sinalo Jafta, Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Lizelle Lee, Sune Luus, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Tumi Sekhukhune, Chloe Tryon, Laura Wolvaardt. Reserves: Anneke Bosch, Nadine de Klerk, Raisibe Ntozakhe.

WEST INDIES: Stafanie Taylor (captain), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shemaine Campbelle, Shamilia Connell, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Cherry Ann Fraser, Chinelle Henry, Kycia Knight, Hayley Matthews, Anisa Mohammed, Chedean Nation, Karishma Ramharack, Shakera Selman, Rashada Williams. Travelling reserves: Jannillea Glasgow, Mandy Mangru, Kaysia Schultz.

Watch the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup live on Sky Sports from Friday. Coverage of the tournament opener - hosts New Zealand vs West Indies - gets underway at 12.30am on Sky Sports Cricket. England vs Australia is live from 12.30am on Saturday on Sky Sports Cricket.