Women’s World Cup final: Former England captain Charlotte Edwards says Australia under more pressure | Cricket News

Former England captain Charlotte Edwards tells Sky Sports News: “Australia have had an unbelievable run of form but they are beatable. We pushed them in the Ashes and just couldn’t get over the line. England need to put Australia under pressure and they have the bowling attack to do that”

Charlotte Edwards says Australia will be the side under more pressure when they face England in Sunday’s World Cup final in Christchurch.

Australia are ranked No 1 in the world, have won each of their eight games at this year’s World Cup and 37 of their last 38 ODIs, and beat England 12-4 during this winter’s multi-format Ashes series.

But Edwards, who led England to the World Cup title in 2009 as part of a 50-over and T20 double, believes Heather Knight’s defending champions can pull off an upset at Hagley Oval this weekend.

England lost their first three matches at the tournament, making every game from that point a must-win, and they are now on a five-fixture winning streak after trouncing South Africa by 137 runs in the semi-finals.

‘Australia are beatable; England can pressure them’

Edwards told Sky Sports News: “I think the slate is clean for England. Who cares what happened in the Ashes? It’s a one-off game and I can tell you who is under more pressure and it’s Australia.

“Australia have had an unbelievable run of form. They are a very good cricket team but they are beatable. We pushed them in the Ashes and just couldn’t get over the line

“Funny things can happen in a one-off game that means a lot. England have been under pressure more in this tournament than Australia.

“England need to put Australia under pressure and they have the bowling attack to do that. I think England need to bat first, get over 230 on the board and in a final I think that will be enough

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Watch highlights from England thumping 137-run victory over South Africa in Thursday’s World Cup semi-final

“England are full of depth and world-class players and have shown that in the last week or so. They are going in with form and a lot of their main players with good scores under their belt.

“I am delighted to see them in the final. Two weeks ago this looked a long way off but I had firm belief that England would get there. It was never in doubt for me.

“They hadn’t played Bangladesh or Pakistan so the situation looked worse than what it was. It was not ideal, obviously, but results went their way and they needed to keep winning.”

Edwards: Ecclestone is a superstar

England’s victory over South Africa, in which they racked up 293-8 from their 50 overs before dismissing the Proteas for 156 in 38 overs, was underpinned by Danni Wyatt’s century – during which she was dropped multiple times – and spinner Sophie Ecclestone’s six-wicket haul.

On Ecclestone, the top-ranked bowler in ODI and T20I cricket and the leading wicket-taker in this tournament with 20 in eight matches, Edwards said: “She is a world-class performer.

“The fact she is only 22 years of age is quite unbelievable. England go to her when the chips are down and she always delivers. There is even more to come. She is a superstar.”

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England’s Danni Wyatt tells Nasser Husain her side can beat Australia at Hagley Oval on Sunday

On Wyatt, whose 125 from 129 balls was her second ODI century, her first since 2019 and first in World Cup cricket, Edwards added: “This will go a long way for her. You could see what it meant to her to score runs in a semi-final when her team were massively under pressure.”

Wyatt said: “I was really chuffed with how it went. I really wanted to contribute to a win and that’s what happened. I obviously got dropped a few times but that’s cricket and you’ve got to cash in.”

Watch the Women’s World Cup final between England and Australia live on Sky Sports Cricket World Cup from 1am on Sunday.