Jenny Gunn dropped Poonam Yadav a ball before final wicket fell
Sunday 23 July 2017 22:02, UK
Heather Knight feared England had dropped the Women's World Cup moments before their stunning nine-run triumph over India in Sunday's sell-out final at Lord's.
In one of the most dramatic climaxes played out at the home of cricket - in any form of the game - India had gone from needing 38 to win with seven wickets in hand to the verge of defeat.
But when Jenny Gunn spilled the most straightforward catch of the match in the penultimate over, to let India No 10 Poonam Yadav off the hook, England's heads were in their hands.
They need not have worried, though. India's collapse was concluded the very next ball, with the player-of-the-match Anya Shrubsole clean-bowling Rajeshwari Gayakwad to complete her six-wicket haul and seal a memorable nine-run victory.
"It felt like she dropped the World Cup to be honest," said England captain Knight. "It was a hard one to deal with. We were on top at that stage, it was a big ask for their 10 and 11 to get those last few runs.
"I thought we'd won it, and then that drop went down. But we got over the line and at the end of the day that's the main thing."
England's total of 228-7, boosted by 51 from their talisman Natalie Sciver, seemed a modest target, not least after India cruised 190-3 in reply.
Poonam Raut's 86 looked destined to be a match-winning innings even after she fell lbw to Shrubsole, but when Alex Hartley accounted for Sushma Verma for a duck and Shrubsole removed Veda Krishnamurthy and Jhulan Goswami in successive balls, England had a lifeline and suddenly Lord's was hosting a thriller.
Moments later Shikha Pandey was run out, and when Deepthi Sharma picked out Sciver off Shrubsole, India were nine down.
Unbelievably, Gunn's drop cranked up the tension yet further, but Shrubsole got the job done with her fifth wicket in 19 balls sparking celebrations on the pitch and bedlam in the packed stands.
"It's what we have talked about for a long time," added Knight. "It has been outstanding and what we set out to do. We knew we were in with a chance, although I guess we have done it the hard way.
"Cricket is a funny game, and pressure a funny thing. It's a World Cup final, we knew if we held our nerve we would be in with a chance but it did feel like it was slipping away at one stage.
"We've fought like hell in this tournament and today was no different."
The match felt like a milestone occasion for the game, and for women's sport in this country, even before the late theatre.
England had lost to India in their opening game but impressive victories in the next six made them favourites to add to the cups they won in 1973, 1993 - both before women were admitted to the MCC - and 2009.
The home of cricket was sold out while the worldwide television audience was expected to top 100 million - even the ticket touts were out in force all the way from St John's Wood station to the Grace Gate.
Defeat was tough on India, who had earned many admirers for their performances at the tournament, and their captain, Mithali Raj, said after the defeat: "The last four or five batters probably - at this platform, in the final - could not handle the pressure.
"At one point the game was in the balance and that's when we didn't hold our nerve."
