Heather Knight: ‘It felt like Jenny Gunn had dropped the World Cup’

Heather Knight admitted she feared England had literally dropped the World Cup moments before their triumph against India on Sunday.

In one of the most dramatic climaxes played out at Lord’s – in any form of the game – India had gone from needing 38 to win with seven wickets in hand to the verge of defeat. But when Jenny Gunn spilled the most straightforward catch of the match, and possibly even the tournament, to let the India No10 Rajeshwari Gayakwad off the hook, England’s heads were in their hands.

They need not have worried, though. India’s collapse was concluded the very next ball, with the player of the match, Anya Shrubsole, clean-bowling Gayakwad to complete her six-wicket haul and seal a memorable nine-run victory.

“It felt like she dropped the World Cup to be honest,” Knight, the England captain, said afterwards. “It was a hard one to deal with. We were on top at that stage, it was a big ask for their 10 and 11 to get those last few runs. I thought we’d won it and then that drop went down ... But we got over the line and at the end of the day that’s the main thing.”

England’s total of 228 for seven, boosted by 51 from Natalie Sciver, always seemed a modest target, not least after India cruised to 190 for three.

Poonam Raut’s 86 looked destined to be a match-winning innings even after she fell lbw to Shrubsole. But when Alex Hartley accounted for Sushma Verma for a duck and Shrubsole removed Veda Krishnamurthy and Jhulan Goswami in successive balls, England had a lifeline and suddenly Lord’s found itself hosting a thriller.

Sarah Taylor thought she had Deepthi Sharma stumped but an agonisingly drawn-out replay could not prove her foot was off the floor at the point of impact. Yet moments later Shikha Pandey was run out and, when Sharma picked out Sciver off Shrubsole, India were nine down.

Gunn’s dropped catch cranked the tension up further but Shrubsole got the job done with her fifth wicket in 19 balls, sparking celebrations on the pitch and bedlam in the packed stands.

“It’s what we have talked about for a long time,” Knight said. “It’s been outstanding. It’s what we set out to do. We knew we were in with a chance, although I guess we have done it the hard way.

“Cricket’s a funny game and pressure’s a funny thing. It’s a World Cup final, we knew if we held our nerve we would be in with a chance but it did feel like it was slipping away at 190 for three. But we fought like hell in this tournament and today was no different. That’s been a theme of the tournament: fighting hard and holding our nerve.”

The final felt like a milestone occasion for the game and for women’s sport in this country, even before the late theatre. England had lost against India in their opening game of the tournament but impressive victories in the next six matches made them favourites to add to the cups they won in 1973, 1993 – both before women were admitted to MCC – and 2009.

The home of cricket was sold out while the worldwide television audience was expected to top 100m – even the ticket touts were out in force all the way from St John’s Wood station to the Grace Gates.

Defeat was tough on India, who have earned many admirers for their performances at the tournament. Their captain, Mithali Raj, said: “The last four or five batters probably – at this platform, in the final – could not handle the pressure. At one point the game was in the balance and that’s when we didn’t hold our nerve.”