England take on Australia in the World Cup final, live on Sky Sports on Sunday; Phoebe Graham says the defending champions have been “unstoppable” since losing the first three games, with “all-time great” Heather Knight showing quality as captain
From the brink of elimination to a match of glory: Phoebe Graham looks at England’s impressive World Cup comeback, South Africa’s semi-final demolition and title match against mighty Australia…
The World Cup title is within reach for England.
The win over Australia on Sunday would go down as one of the biggest game changers in the sport.
At the beginning of the campaign and with three defeats out of three, retaining the World Cup was a distant dream, but as soon as England games became a must to win, they flipped a switch and have been unstoppable.
It was great to see them play so ruthlessly in the semi-final against South Africa. They were disciplined but played with a lot of freedom.
Having that mindset at this stage shows that England have one of the all-time greats in Heather Knight at the helm of this team.
Danni Wyatt set the tone with a superb 129. The freedom on her shots and the way she tackles the field on the power play gives the entire team a sense of confidence. Sophia Dunkley also played a pivotal inning, scoring 60.
So I thought that England played better as a unit than in the whole tournament.
They didn’t give anything away, they bowled socially and looked so menacing with the new ball.
When you have Anya Shrubsole throwing the ball in and Katherine Brunt taking it away, it’s no wonder South Africa lost two early wickets.
England was then magical in the intermissions, through Kate Cross, Charlie Dean and Sophie Ecclestone.
Cross has been an unsung hero in this tournament, while Dean has adapted to international cricket like a fish to water.
Last but definitely not least is Ecclestone, the best ODI bowler in the world. Eight overs, 6-36. What a performance and what an artist!
She is simply world class with her presence and competitive nature. The way she took on South Africa’s Shabnim Ismail with bat and ball showed just how much England were in this fight.
Shooting South Africa for 156 was quite a statement.
It shows how far this England team has come, it shows the mentality that Knight has fostered in the dressing room, it shows that England are here to retain their title.
The final will be one of the most competitive cricket games we have seen in a long time. Australia is in the shape of its life, but this is an England revitalized and fueled. They are ready to win the World Cup.
Good luck girls. Take it home!
Watch the Women’s World Cup final between England and Australia for free on Sky Showcase, PICK and the Sky Sports Cricket YouTube channel from 1am on Sunday. The game is also shown on Sky Sports Cricket World Cup and Sky Sports Main Event.
