Eoin Morgan says World Cup final is reward for 'four years of hard work and dedication'
Watch England take on New Zealand in the Cricket World Cup final on Sunday, live on Sky Sports from 9am
Saturday 13 July 2019 14:26, UK
England captain Eoin Morgan says Sunday's Cricket World Cup final against New Zealand is "the culmination of four years of hard work and dedication".
Morgan has been at the forefront of England's white-ball resurgence, taking them from an embarrassing group-stage exit in the 2015 World Cup to No 1 in the rankings before this tournament, and now to Sunday's final - their first World Cup final in 27 years.
Asked about the magnitude of the match at Lord's, Morgan said: "It means a huge amount to me and to everybody in the changing room.
"It's the culmination of four years of hard work and dedication, a lot of planning. It presents a big opportunity to go and try to win the World Cup."
Sunday's final will be live on Sky Sports Cricket World Cup from 9am, while it is also to be available on free-to-air TV on Channel 4.
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"The support we have had has been unquestionable, as a team that makes you feel lucky to be a part of the team with that sort of support," Morgan added.
"This presents a huge opportunity to sell the game on a huge platform, it's going all around the country."
Despite strong home support, England don't have the greatest one-day record playing at Lord's. They've won only 24 of their 54 ODIs at the venue, including only five of the 16 held there in the last decade.
The latest of those defeats came in the group stage against Australia, but Morgan - who plays at the ground for county side Middlesex - isn't concerned by that record, though he predicts a close contest against the Kiwis.
"I am personally relaxed. It's nice to be home," he said. "I'm excited about tomorrow. We're going to enjoy the game regardless. It's a World Cup final and we're not going to shy away.
"It isn't ever a high-scoring ground, so I'd say tomorrow isn't going to be a high-scoring game. I think it will be a bit of a battle.
"In general, the scores [at this World Cup] have been a lot lower than they have been in the last two or three years. Adjusting to that has been hard work but New Zealand have handled that brilliantly."
England have no new injury concerns heading into Sunday's final, with Jonny Bairstow - who seemingly had a niggle during the semi-final win over Australia - training with the rest of the group on Saturday.
But Morgan was keeping his cards close to his chest of what will be the inspirational words he delivers to his team before the final, adding: "I get asked that a lot. You never know until the morning.
"You have to go and see what the mood will be like in the camp. The last three or four times, it has been right on point."
Watch the World Cup final between New Zealand and England live on Sky Sports Cricket World Cup and Main Event from 9am on Sunday.
