ICC World Cup final: England, New Zealand aim to win first ever title today

Neither England nor New Zealand has won the World Cup before and Sunday’s winner would create cricke

LONDON (Dunya News/AFP) – England and New Zealand are facing each other for the final match of the ICC World Cup 2019 as both teams aim to clinch their first ever World Cup trophy at the Lord’s on Sunday.

Neither England nor New Zealand has won the World Cup before and Sunday’s winner would create cricketing history. England and New Zealand enter in the World Cup final knowing years of planning come down to a single day at Lord’s.

The challenge for England is to embrace the hype surrounding Sunday’s fixture without letting it inhibit them from playing their brand of "fearless" cricket. The host England won six out of their nine group matches to end up third in the list while New Zealand won five out of nine matches with one rained-off match and ended up fourth but both team thrashed the top two contenders India and Australia magnificently to reach the final.

Head-to-head in World Cup matches

All tournament long, the same comment has been made about New Zealand -- they boast a well-balanced attack led by left-arm quick Trent Boult but are over-reliant on captain Kane Williamson and fellow senior batsman Ross Taylor for their runs.

The polite Kiwis have responded by continuing to "scrap", in the phrase of fast bowler Lockie Ferguson, their way to wins as demonstrated by their dramatic 18-run semi-final victory over India.

It is perhaps appropriate that England and New Zealand are playing against each other in a final, a mega-event between two sides who have yet to win the World Cup.

By reaching the final, England have guaranteed an international match will be shown live on free-to-air television in Britain for the first time since the iconic 2005 Ashes series -- a chance to inspire a new generation.

For it was the Black Caps who showed England how to play the modern one-day game at the 2015 edition in Wellington four years ago. They shot out England for just 123 and then overhauled that total in a mere 12.2 overs.

England gained a measure of revenge with a 119-run thrashing of New Zealand in a group-stage match earlier in this World Cup.

While many members of the home side were not even born when England made the last of three losing appearances in a World Cup final in 1992, the Black Caps have the experience of their heavy defeat by co-hosts Australia in the climax of the 2015 edition in Melbourne to call on.

"I’d be lying if I said we weren’t a bit overawed by the change of scenery," said Taylor as he looked back to New Zealand’s first and only match on Australian soil in that tournament.

"I think we know what to expect, the pressures that come with it, we’ve been there before. You just have to enjoy it, it’s the ‘Home of Cricket’, I can’t think of a better place to play a final."

Eoin Morgan’s England humbled holders Australia to reach their first final since 1992 while the Black Caps finished as runners-up in 2015.

KEY BATTLES TO WATCH

1) Morgan v Williamson - Eyeing history

Eoin Morgan and Kane Williamson both have the chance to become national heroes by leading their teams to World Cup glory for the first time.

England have enjoyed a dramatic revival in fortunes since their limp first-round exit in 2015 with Morgan at the helm, infusing his side with a fearless approach.

The 32-year-old batsman, who scored an unbeaten 45 in the hosts’ humbling of Australia on Thursday, has urged his side to seize their moment.

"I think Sunday’s not a day to shy away from, it’s a day to look forward to," he said.

Williamson, whose team lost heavily to England in the group stage, tried to keep his players calm after New Zealand’s stunning victory over India in the first semi-final on Wednesday.

"Anybody can beat anybody," he said. "It’s important that feet are on the ground and we look forward to that challenge."

With two centuries and two fifties in his eight innings, Williamson has led by example with his elegant batting and sharp reading of the game.

Batting great Sachin Tendulkar said Williamson’s "captaincy and composure" played a key part in the victory over India.

2) Roy v Guptill - Opening gambit

Jason Roy set the tone as England tore into the Australian bowling with relish on Thursday, dominating an opening stand of 124 with in-form partner Jonny Bairstow.

Roy, who has been involved in four successive century partnerships with Bairstow, missed three group games due to a hamstring injury.

England have won all three of their matches comfortably since his return to the side and he averages an impressive 71 at the tournament.

New Zealand’s Martin Guptill has struggled badly in England and Wales, eking out just 167 runs in nine innings, a sharp contrast from 2015, when he finished as the top runscorer in the tournament, hitting an unbeaten 237 against the West Indies.

He has proved his prowess in the field, hitting the stumps with a direct throw to run out India’s MS Dhoni in the semi-final but New Zealand desperately need his runs at the top of the order on Sunday.

3) Henry v Woakes - First blood

Matt Henry destroyed India’s illustrious top order in a ferocious opening spell of fast bowling on Wednesday and a repeat performance would set New Zealand on the way to their first World Cup triumph.

His figures of 3-37 included the key wicket of Rohit Sharma and, sharing the new ball with senior partner Trent Boult, the paceman has now claimed 13 wickets in eight games.

Chris Woakes was England’s star performer at Edgbaston as he dismantled the Australia top-order including taking the big wicket of David Warner to return figures of 3-20.

He has combined with Jofra Archer to give the England pace attack a sharper edge, with the new-ball pair claiming a combined 32 wickets together in 10 matches. 

The Lord’s wicket was greener than expected 24 hours before the start of the game, and although Morgan said he expected it to be drier and harder than it looks by the time of the toss, he still predicted a "battle" where a score of under 300 would be enough to win the trophy.

In the run-up to Sunday’s final between England and New Zealand at Lord’s, the ECB and International Cricket Council (ICC) celebrated the fact that more than one million children aged five to 12 had "connected with the sport" through various initiatives, highlighting the impact of the World Cup.

"We set ourselves the ambitious target of connecting with one million young people and we are delighted to have met our goal ahead of time," said Harrison.

Vettori hails World Cup captains Morgan and Williamson

Former New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori says it is fitting to see "great leaders" Eoin Morgan and Kane Williamson going head to head for the World Cup trophy at Lord’s on Sunday.

Morgan has made England the most-feared one-day international side since an embarrassingly early exit in 2015 while Williamson has built on the legacy of Brendon McCullum, whose team were losing finalists four years ago.

England thumped Australia by eight wickets to reach Sunday’s final while New Zealand shocked fancied India, winning their last-four clash by 18 runs.

"It’s a chance to watch two really great leaders," Vettori wrote in a column for the International Cricket Council.

"Kane inherited from Brendon McCullum and put his stamp on things -- he and Morgan lead in a similar way, they read the game exceptionally well and you enjoy sitting back and watching them."

Vettori said both captains had the ability to think on their feet and had been at their best in the semi-finals.

"Both will admit that you become a good captain when you have a good bowling attack, which they both have, but they’ll utilise that group in the best way they can," he added.

"These two have probably been the best captains in this tournament and it’s fitting to see them face each other in the final."

Vettori believes New Zealand’s experience of playing in the 2015 final will be valuable against the in-form hosts.

"Williamson, (Ross) Taylor and Martin Guptill were there in 2015, so to have three of the top four batters knowing what it’s like is really key, particularly with the experience they possess," he said.

"They can replay what they went through four years ago, the emotion and experience is unique, and there are very few people who get to play in back-to-back World Cup finals."