ICC Women's World Cup 2017: All tickets for final at iconic Lord's Stadium sold out
What’s the story?
As the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground gears up to host the finals of the ICC 2017 Women’s World Cup between England and the Indian Eves, The Guardian has reported that the tickets for the mega event have been sold out, something not many had expected.
“We’ve sold it out,” England’s Alex Heartley told The Guardian. “It’s proof that people are taking women’s cricket seriously, no matter the result on Sunday. We’ve done a world of good for English cricket. Who knows what will happen in the future?"
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In case you didn’t know...
The last time that Lord’s hosted a Women’s World Cup final was in 1993 when England beat New Zealand in front of a crowd of 5,000. Later, in 1997, 80,000 people turned up at India’s iconic Eden Gardens to watch the finals.
The heart of the matter
England beat South Africa in the first semi-final while India beat Australia in the second semi-final. This will be India's second World Cup final - they were finalists in 2005 as well. Harmanpreet Kaur’s brilliance in the semi-final guided the team to the finals. However, it has been reported that the all-rounder sustained an injury during a practice session and might not feature in the summit clash.
Opener Smriti Mandhana needs to find some form and the fielding unit, along with death bowling, needs improvement too.
Prior to the tournament, not many in India knew the names of players other than Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami. But with the tournament coming to its business end, and the matches being televised, it seems that the women have finally earned the recognition that has been long overdue.
What’s next?
The two finalists will lock horns in the mega event tomorrow at Lord’s Cricket Stadium at 3 PM IST. While England have the upper hand, the Indian Eves sprung surprises when they beat New Zealand and Australia, and with that confidence, they can upstage the hosts as well.
Author’s take
The Indian women have not won the cup yet, but they have already gained immense popularity. With Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami, the two pillars of Indian cricket, probably playing their last World Cup match, this is one that fans just cannot miss.