Kate Cross believes England should stick with Chris Woakes for Saturday's crunch Cricket World Cup clash against South Africa.

Woakes has been ineffective with the ball in the first three games, recording figures of 2-135 from just 18 overs and having his place in the side called into question as a result.

But fellow fast bowler Cross — who has taken an impressive 79 wickets in 59 women's one-day internationals — thinks England captain Jos Buttler would be wise to continue backing one of his most experienced figures.

She told LiveScore: "It looks like he's out of rhythm, because he's usually such a metronomic bowler.

"But Woakes is still one of our most consistent players and this little break between matches should be a really good thing for him.

"He's not going to get many games where he doesn't bowl well, so I'd be surprised if he was dropped.

"If Jonny Bairstow had two or three low scores, the media wouldn't be saying he should be dropped.

"It's different in terms of bowlers, so a really positive thing for England to do would be to back Woakes.

"And if he comes out firing against South Africa, that could shift the whole momentum in the dressing room and change the talk around the team."

Ben's back

Woakes will likely be buoyed by the impending return of Ben Stokes, who has declared himself fit to face the Proteas.

And Cross says the England Test captain's presence in the field is just as important as his ability with the bat.

She added: "An England team with Stokes is just a better team. 

"And after the Afghanistan defeat, [England coach] Matthew Mott said Stokes actually gave his thoughts about how the side should be playing.

"So he's obviously such an important figure in that dressing room, whether he's playing or not.

"Having him on the pitch is going to be such a benefit for Jos and the bowlers, because he's one of our best fielders and catchers in all the hotspots."

Remaining positive

England's 69-run defeat to Afghanistan last Sunday represented one of the biggest shocks in Cricket World Cup history, akin to that of South Africa's surprise loss to the Netherlands two days later.

But Cross does not think Buttler and his men will be too down in the dumps, due to the fact they know how much room for improvement there is.

She explained: "If you're not playing your best cricket and losing, you can actually be in quite a good place, because you know you've got more to give.

"So I don't think England are in the worst position. It's not the start they would have liked but Afghanistan were outstanding on the day.

"I'm one of the more optimistic England fans. They've got a lot of time left to turn it around.

"And it's one of those weird phases of the tournament where they've had five days off and their families have now come over.

"Sometimes that can be what alters mindsets and attitudes — and might just get them firing on all cylinders. 

"That being said, I also think South Africa is a crunch game and will probably be the one which is the turning point for England either way."