Sophie Ecclestone calls on England to ‘do it for Heather’ in World Cup final

Sophie Ecclestone has attributed England’s dramatic comeback in the World Cup to the leadership of their captain, Heather Knight, and called on her team to “do it for Heather” when they face Australia in the World Cup final at Christchurch on Sunday.

Knight was at the helm five years ago when England won the trophy in dramatic fashion at Lord’s, and more recently has marshalled an incredible turnaround, with her team victorious in five must-win matches on the trot after three initial losses put them on the verge of elimination. At the age of 31, it’s possible that Sunday’s match may be her last chance to lead her side out in a 50-over World Cup final.

“To come back the way we have, Heather’s very proud of this group and what we’ve achieved,” Ecclestone said. “As a team, we get on so well. We want the best for each other. So when we go out and play cricket, we do it for each other.

“When we lost three from three, there were a few tears in the changing room. The turning point was a few meetings just to say, we’ve got nothing to lose now, let’s put everything we’re doing at the training ground into a game and go out with no fear, which I think we have done. Hopefully we can go out there on Sunday and do it for Heather.”

Alongside England’s rollercoaster journey, the 22-year-old Ecclestone has experienced something of a personal resurgence during the tournament. The left-arm spinner went wicketless in their opening match against Australia four weeks ago, conceding 77 runs – her worst-ever figures in ODI cricket. But in the weeks since, she has clambered her way to the top of the tournament wicket-taking charts, with 20 scalps in the bag.

The recently issued ICC bowling rankings revealed that she has risen to the No 1 spot in