Sports / Dharmasena only World Cup champ to take field in 2019 World Cup final

Eoin Morgan’s England face Kane Williamson-led New Zealand at Lord’s on Sunday in the ICC World Cup 2019 final. Deemed as the favourites to lift the cup, hosts England have lived up to the billing by reaching the finals of the World Cup after 27 years. England did not have a smooth sailing into the finals. In fact their semi-final qualification was in danger after defeats to Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Australia but Morgan’s men turned it around with successive wins against India and New Zealand to book their semi’s spot and then bulldozed through defending champions Australia to advance to the finals.

New Zealand, the ever underdogs of the World Cup despite playing 6 semi-finals previously, had the perfect start to the tournament with five wins in a row but their campaign went off track after they lost their last three group stage matches and sneaked through to semi-finals based on net run rate. The Blackcaps though stunned hot favourites India in the semi-final in a low-scoring match to advance to their second successive World Cup final.

Here are 10 unknown facts about today’s England vs New Zealand World Cup final at Lord’s

New Champion

The Cricket world will get a new champion after 23 years. The last time a team won its maiden World title was Sri Lanka way back in 1996. Since then Australia have won four World Cups and India laid their hands on the trophy once. England and New Zealand – the two finalists of the World Cup 2019 – have never won an ODI World Cup and they will also be facing each other for the first time in a World Cup final.

What if it’s a tie?

The World Cup 2019 is the first fifty-over tournament which has the Super Over concept to decide the winner in the knockout games. So, if the England vs New Zealand final at Lord’s ends up in a tie then a Super Over will be used to determine the winner. The group stage standings or the net run rate count for nothing.