The questions for England to answer during World Cup preparation

Breaking news from the world of sport: The questions for England to answer during World Cup preparationImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Charlotte Edwards took over as England coach at the start of last summerByMatthew HenryBBC Sport journalistPublished12 minutes agoAfter the preamble, it is time for England to get down to business. Having drawn a rain-affected 50-over series against New Zealand, coach Charlotte Edwards now has six T20s, starting with Wednesday evening's match against the White Ferns, to finetune her side before the World Cup begins on 12 June. Edwards has been planning for this for months, but there remains plenty of questions to answer over the next two weeks before the big show gets under way.

Corteen-Coleman or Smith, or both? Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Tilly Corteen-Coleman is yet to win her first cap for England in T20 cricketWhen considering the bigger picture, the most significant part of the one-day international series against New Zealand was the arrival of 18-year-old spinner Tilly Corteen-Coleman on the international stage. That she looked so at ease on debut in Chester-le-Street, while able to admit she could have bowled better, was a major boost to Edwards, who has long talked up the spinner's talents.

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Her emergence leaves Edwards with a difficult decision. Sophie Ecclestone, fitness permitting, still appears a guaranteed starter in England's World Cup XI but who will join her in the spin attack? The other candidate is England's third left-arm spinner, Linsey Smith.

Smith, a shorter, slingier spinner compared to the more Ecclestone-like Corteen-Coleman, was arguably England's best bowler at last year's 50-over World Cup and her skills of bowling in the powerplay – she bowled more than half of her World Cup overs with the new ball last autumn and took seven of her 13 wickets in that phase – are arguably even more relevant in T20s than ODIs. It would be a big call to opt for the 18-year-old but Corteen-Coleman has done her cause no harm. She took 1-18 in four overs in a T20 when 427 runs were scored during England's intra-squad camp in South Africa earlier this year.

You could, of course, play all three left-armers, but that would probably mean leaving out vice-captain Charlie Dean and having a problematically long tail. Is everyone truly fit? This is obvious, but is the most important question and impacts all of the decisions that follow.

Reactions and Expectations

England have been managing playing time and various issues for a number of weeks – it is why many players skipped rounds of domestic cricket at the start of the season – but it will soon be crunch time. The most significant is captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, who missed the New Zealand ODIs with a "minor" calf tear and has now been ruled out of the subsequent T20 series. England need her fit to play her full part as an all-rounder.

Ecclestone's appearance in the third ODI in Cardiff was only her fourth match of the season. She has been managing a quad issue which, again, England have said is only minor.

The story has climbed to the top of the sports agenda, with fans and analysts following closely.