ICONIC. That was the word England captain Eoin Morgan used on the eve of the biggest game of his life to describe what the achievement of winning the World Cup would mean to the country.
Make no mistake, this is perhaps the biggest game the country has ever had. Forget the 2005 Ashes or the three World Cup finals previous England teams have lost.
This contest against New Zealand at Lord’s today could be the shot in the arm the sport needs and inspire a new generation of fans and players.
That the match is being shown live on free-to-air TV, with Channel 4 sharing coverage with Sky, tells you all you need to know.
This is absolutely massive.
Like that fabled Ashes series of 17 summers ago, when Australia were defeated after 18 long years, perhaps one day we will listen to a new generation of England players saying that the famous World Cup win of 2019 is the reason why they got into the sport.
“I haven’t allowed myself to think about lifting the trophy,” admitted Morgan. “But for us to win it, I think around the country it would be awesome, great for the game. I think quite iconic – certainly in young kids’ memory if they are watching it at home and we manage to lift the trophy. It would be awesome.
“It’s on terrestrial television around the country and various outlets online. It presents a huge opportunity for us to sell this great game. The support we’ve had has been unquestionable and as a team it makes you feel extremely lucky.”
England have come a long way since their first-round exit at the last tournament in Australia and New Zealand four years ago.
Having adopted a fearless, aggressive approach they have since risen to No1 in the world and stand on the cusp of history.
This story is from the July 14, 2019 edition of The Cricket Paper.
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This story is from the July 14, 2019 edition of The Cricket Paper.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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