Australia, England face off in Women’s World Cup final

Relentless Australia will be out to underline its credentials as one of the game’s greatest teams against a battle-hardened England unit that will also seek greatness in a blockbuster Women’s World Cup final here on Sunday.

Both England and Australia have been marching towards the big day in their own way. Defending champion England has been emboldened by an incredible turnaround that saw it prevail in five must-win games after losing its first three matches.

Australia, gunning for a record seventh world title, has been on a roll extending its winning streak to 11 matches. Interestingly, despite having won 10 of the previous 11 World Cups between them, England and Australia will face off in a WC final for the first time in 34 years. The two sides started their campaigns in Hamilton almost a month ago and will end them together, one holding the trophy, the other looking on at the Hagley Oval.

Australia has lost only one World Cup final, but it was not too far away from the setting for Sunday’s finale. Back in 2000, just down the road from Christchurch at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln, Australia lost the closest final the tournament has ever seen, defeated by New Zealand by just four runs.

That year, England recorded its worst-ever World Cup finish of fifth before fighting back to take the trophy from Australia in 2009. In doing so, it would go on to have a remarkable year, also clinching its first and only T20 World Cup as well as an Ashes victory. It is something that Australia hopes to match 13 years later.