Charlotte Edwards will be playing in her fourth Women’s World Cup when she leads England in their opening group game against Sri Lanka in Sydney on March 7.

And the Kent all-rounder is convinced that the 2009 tournament offers her best ever chance of a winners’ medal.

Edwards, 29, made her England debut at the age of 16 and in her three previous World Cup appearances has seen Australia (twice) and New Zealand walk off with the winners’ trophy.

But last year's ICC Women's Player of the Year said: "I can’t wait to get started because I really believe we have a great chance of winning it this time.

"Australia have pretty much dominated the three previous World Cups I have played in, winning in 1997 and 2005 and finishing runners-up in 2000, but there is a much more level playing field in the world game now and I think this is going to be the closest World Cup for a number of years.

"The World Cup is all about peaking at the right time and dealing with the pressure of big matches. I think the four pre-tournament favourites (England, Australia, India and New Zealand) are equal in strength which brings it down to the fact that the difference between winning and losing will be whose key players excel on match days."

Edwards’ Kent team-mate Lydia Greenway is already fully acclimatised after playing in Australia all through the winter and Edwards added: "Lydia is raring to go and I am expecting her to have a very good competition."

England have been drawn in Group B along with India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Group A features Australia, New Zealand, West Indies and South Africa. The final is in Sydney on Matrch 22.