Heather Knight intends to call on the spirit of 2017 at her happy place of Lord’s when England take on Australia in the Women’s T20 World Cup final on Sunday.
England, then captained by Knight, won their last global trophy nine years ago when they defeated India in the final of the 50-over World Cup in front of a sold-out crowd at the home of cricket.
Knight is one of three survivors from then, alongside Danni-Wyatt-Hodge, a non-playing squad member on the day, and Nat Sciver-Brunt, who has taken on the captaincy and whose batting remains invaluable.
As well as a T20 win over Australia at the venue in the 2023 Ashes, Knight has more fond recollections of playing there after leading London Spirit to victory in The Hundred the following year.
“I think we’ll draw on (2017) a little bit,” said Knight. “Playing in the home World Cup is quite unique and me, Nat and Danni are the only people that have done that.
“This is a very fresh-faced team. We play cricket in our own way.
“But I like playing in finals there. They’re good fun. Playing at Lord’s is always very special. It’s a place I really enjoy.
“It’s going to be a big day and hopefully we can deal with the big occasion and really just try and enjoy it. We’ll just try and bring our best and hopefully bring that trophy home.”
Another capacity crowd is expected this weekend, taking the total attendance for the tournament to around 250,000, largely justifying the decision to hold matches at England’s bigger grounds.
While the 2017 final is widely-regarded as a groundbreaking moment for women’s cricket in this country, Knight believes their showdown against Australia will not have the same resonance.
“It was a full house in 2017 and it did really feel like a seminal moment,” said Knight. “I remember doing the anthems actually and realising what a historic day it was for the game.
“I think it feels slightly different because it is quite normal for us now to have the crowds. It probably won’t feel as historic for the game, I guess, but it has been a great competition.”
Australia will be red-hot favourites to regain the crown they lost in the United Arab Emirates in 2024, having held the Ashes since 2015, claiming an emphatic 16-0 whitewash win Down Under 18 months ago.
Ellyse Perry seems on track to be available despite retiring hurt in Tuesday’s semi-final win over the West Indies with a quad issue, with the all-rounder conducting several sprinting drills in Friday’s training session and having a lengthy bat in the nets.
Coach Shelley Nitschke suggested on Thursday that Perry, widely regarded as one of the greatest female cricketers ever, could feature even if she is less than 100 per cent fit.
Australia team-mate Phoebe Litchfield said on Friday: “Pez is great. She’s prepping really well and she’s the ultimate professional.
“She had a a total wellness day yesterday, apparently, just getting everything right. The body’s a temple for Pez, so it’s nice to see her back around the group today and moving really well.
“As you can all imagine, she wants to be out there on Sunday and is doing everything in her ability to do that, which is the true professional that she is.”
