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England win! In a clinical display over perennial underdogs New Zealand, England claim their first Cricket World Cup.
The Kiwis were brave but the Poms were too good with their brutish batting, balanced bowling and sharp fielding.
That’s what we’re all expecting to read after the World Cup final on Sunday. England should claim the trophy. And this is why (or why not).
England’s batting runs so deep it puts the Mariana Trench to shame. All but one of their top five has scored a ton this World Cup.
Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy impose at the top of the order. Both have scored more than 400 runs during this campaign, Bairstow with 496 at 49.60 and Roy with 426 at 71.
Across 31 innings together, their average stand is 67.70. Every three innings, they’ll put on at least a century partnership. They score at a freakish rate – 7.11 runs per over
Should New Zealand nip out Bairstow and Roy, there’s not much reprieve.
The clinical Joe Root tops England’s World Cup scoring with 549 runs at 68.62. Although not consistently at this best during this campaign, Eoin Morgan (362 at 45.25) has shown he’s capable of playing different roles from mainstay to finisher.
(Photo by Gareth Copley-IDI/IDI via Getty Images)
Ben Stokes (381 at 54.42) has batted with maturity throughout, accumulating four fifties in the process. While Jos Buttler (253 at 31.62) has batted selflessly as usual.
In contrast, the New Zealand side has scored just two centuries. Both came off the bat of their classy skipper Kane Williamson, who’s tallied 548 runs at 91.33.
Ross Taylor has been a solid contributor too (335 at 41.87), but the rest of the line-up has been impotent.
England stumbled through the middle part of the round-robin phase, dropping two games in a row.
But they’ve been irrepressible since that 64-run loss against Australia. They accounted for indomitable India, whipped New Zealand and then made Australia look mediocre.
The English have been red-hot in the one-day arena for years now. They’ve won a staggering 33 of their last 37 matches at home – an 89% win rate.
They enjoy a 70% winning record for all one-day matches in the last two years. This trumps the form of the past three World Cup champs – Australia’s was 55% in 2015 and 64% in 2007, while India’s was 59% in 2011 – and they go at a brisk run rate of 6.29 since the last World Cup, the highest of all nations.
In the other camp, New Zealand started the World Cup strongly with five straight wins. But their momentum halted as they lost three on the trot.
However, their gritty performance against a formidable India shouldn’t be overlooked.
England breezed through their semi. On the other hand, New Zealand ground their way through their one-day match in two.
Does New Zealand have the fortitude to back up their win over India against the No.1 ranked side?
History shows that tough and tight wins can tax the winning semi-finalist. Many go on to lose the main event. New Zealand knows this well after pinching a semi-final thriller against South Africa in the 2015 Cricket World Cup before being pumped in the final against Australia.
So, England win… right?
Everything says this should be so. But what if?
What if Martin Guptill finds his grove and blasts a double century. Let’s not forget he scored an unbeaten 237 at the previous World Cup.
What if Jason Roy pops his hamstring while attempting a quick single and runs out Jonny Bairstow in the process?
What if Trent Boult and Lockie Ferguson dismantle England’s middle order?
So, who wins?
Who knows.
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