Watch Winning over the World on Sky Sports Cricket on Christmas Day as the England players recall their victory
Monday 25 December 2017 07:21, UK
Ahead of Winning over the World, our Christmas Day show on England Women's World Cup victory, Holly Gillett recounts the side's nerve-shredding, game-changing triumph...
With eyes filling and her confident voice cracking, cricket's resident hard-woman Katherine Brunt tells of the moment her side won the World Cup in front of over 26,000 at Lord's and 100 million around the world.
In Sky Sports Cricket's feature 'Winning over the World' - which you can watch on Christmas Day - she speaks of a relief so potent that her powerful legs sank beneath her and her strong body was left racked with sobs.
Brunt was one of an unbreakable unit who overcame the odds to put on a show that drew an audience to the Home of Cricket the like of which had never been seen.
Groups of men, gatherings of women, families, children; a constant hum that you don't always get with the oft-gentle game of cricket, punctuated by roars of rapture, horror and eventually pure elation.
That somewhat gloomy Sunday created the vista for a vibrant clash that showcased the sheer delight that sport can offer, the emotion it can elicit and as the team demonstrated, that perseverance really does pay off.
Under media interest akin to the men's game, and the burdensome pressure that being the hosts brings, the ladies didn't kick off the tournament in a way they would have liked and certainly not in a manner befitting of future victors.
The dazzling prequel of ribbons and rhyme in the pre-match ceremony on the opening day were quickly dulled as Heather Knight's charges were stamped down by an Indian side that sparkled with class.
India's top three eased to 50 and beyond, fluent and unflappable but the host squandered multiple catching chances and when they chased, fell victim to four run outs. The disappointment was palpable at Derby, but this group of girls had a grit that we weren't aware of.
Victory after victory followed, stars emerged from the bleak beginning and the team showed that their success was about learning to be just that - a team.
England reached the final solely down to this synthesis - set 218 by South Africa in the semi, the openers fell quickly and it was only through dogged middle-order performances from Fran Wilson and Jenny Gunn that a win remained possible.
But when they could go no longer, and Anya Shrubsole - not famed for her batting - strode to the middle with two needed from three balls, the crowd were hushed and the hope faded with that Lord's conclusion looking like it had slipped away.
This was simply a reminder to the doubters, however, that she was part of a team that battled with every breath for each other and she bludgeoned her first ball to the boundary with a chilling calmness.
The final that followed further affirmed that this sisterhood had an unshakable alliance - it wasn't the openers that fired, it was Natalie Sciver, who made a crucial 50, and Brunt and Gunn, getting 59 between them that led to a defendable score.
With the ball there were no wickets for 'Mrs. Reliable' Brunt, it was the young and relatively inexperienced Alex Hartley who dismissed the dynamic Harmanpreet Kaur, paving the way for a tremendous triumph.
We've all seen what happened next - Shrubsole ripping through India's ranks, a spell of bowling that was simply spellbinding, and we won't forget Gunn's dropped catch with India needing just 10 off the last nine.
But with failure once again came fortune; the team would allow nothing else.
Catch 'Winning over the World' at 11.15am, 3.15pm and 6pm on Christmas Day on Sky Sports Cricket to have the girls take you through a journey which broke boundaries and etched them into history.
