My Cup Runneth Over

PL asks that you turn your attention toward Monday morning's (12.30am) Women's T20 World Cup final

Could we finally turn our attention to Australia’s final against England at Lord’s?

The soccer players are out of the World Cup, which was inconveniently running at the same time as the Women’s T20 World Cup, so that’s one distraction gone for those who follow the Male Matildas (*) once every four years. That said, what was the ICC thinking when it pitted its premium women’s tournament up against the biggest sporting event in the world?

It’s footy season in Australia, in winter the rugby codes and AFL distract, but even if you were focused on cricket alone, it’s been a bit like trying to drink from a fire hydrant in recent months, what with the T20 privatisation bungle, the Ben Stokes soap opera - does he still love Baz or has Baz fallen out of love with him - and Ireland beating India in a T20 series; it’s been hard to find time to catch a breath.

Now, with England’s men’s cricket collapsed in on itself and smouldering away behind security cordons, with the Renegades reinstated and the Stars once more in the sky, with Ben in his box, Baz back behind his shades and the ECB sheltering from the crisis, the final can be given the attention it deserves.

Last weekend’s final round double header at Lord’s was as gripping an afternoon of cricket as you could experience. India had to beat Australia to make the semi-finals after South Africa had beaten Bangladesh in the first match. A full and fanatically Indian focused crowd cheered every single run as the women of the world’s most powerful cricket nation compiled 4-170. Just a little ragged in the field, the Australians kept the handbrakes on the opposition until Harmanpreet Kaur went to town in the final overs to give India its highest ever total against Australia in a T20 World Cup.

Australia were up against the game and the crowd, but this outfit, led by Sophie Molineux, held its nerve and put on one of the more clinical batting demonstrations you are likely to witness at this level. Nothing but pride in performance was on the line for the side that was advancing to the finals no matter what, and that is exactly what they delivered. Ellyse Perry (56 from 38b) and Ash Gardner (53no from 28b) steered with steely focus, slowly shifting the momentum of the match and the mood of the partisan crowd. Unfortunately, the silence of the defeated fans was matched somewhat by the relative silence that greeted the victors’ efforts.

The Australian side felt so little recognition of its achievement that Darcie Brown took to social media.

“Any danger for the main media in Aus to actually mention that our girls are at the cricket World Cup,” she wrote on Instagram.

“Wouldn’t know if it was on if I wasn’t actually involved. I’ve seen it mentioned maybe 2/3 times over the month they’ve been over there.

“I understand soccer World Cup has taken over – as it should due to it being the world sport. However, why not put more Aussie spirit on and back the cricket in too. Or does no one actually care in Aus? People in England care, 27,000 at last night’s game ...”