6th over: England 39-2 (Sciver-Brunt 18, Capsey 4) Hamilton oversteps the front line this time, Alice Capsey mowes the free hit to midwicket and sets off for a crazy single! Ash Gardner fluffs the throw, Capsey would have been out by a country mile. It’s been a nervy start from England. Six runs off the over and that’s the powerplay done.

5th over: England 33-2 (Sciver-Brunt 17, Capsey 1) Alice Capsey joins her skipper in the middle and glance her first ball into the off side to get off the mark. England need a partnership.

Annabel Sutherland has an expensive start to her first over, NSB whips her off the pads for four and then the bowler over steps to give away a free hit off. Sciver-Brunt hangs back and heaves the freebie for four.

Now than, Beth Mooney dives down the leg side and thinks Wyatt-Hodge has got a glove on an innocuous delivery from Sutherland… Australia send it upstairs…

4th over: England 20-1 (Wyatt-Hodge 7, Sciver-Brunt 7) Sophie Molineux brings herself on to bowl. Wyatt-Hodge carves for four to bring up her 300th run of the tournament! Eeeesht! Sciver-Brunt edges and sets off for a quick single… her partner was run out if the throw from backward point hit the stumps but luckily for England and DWH it was a bit high meaning Beth Mooney had to gather and then take the bails, a full length dive saves Wyatt-Hodge.

3rd over: England 14-1 (Wyatt-Hodge 2, Sciver-Brunt 6) Beth Mooney is alternating being stood up and back to the stumps, perhaps an effort to upset the rhythm of the batters. It’s working, just three runs off Garth’s second over, Australia are on top in the early exchanges.

2nd over: England 11-1 (Wyatt-Hodge 1, Sciver-Brunt 4) Nat Sciver-Brunt arrives in the middle… she gets off the mark with a beautiful cover drive to her first delivery, sending the ball whistling through the covers to loud cheers that are tinged with nerves. The crowd will play a role today.

1st over: England 7-0 (Jones 6, Wyatt-Hodge 1) Jones lets the first ball go outside off stump. The next is inside edged down to fine leg for four! Georgia Wareham trying in vain to haul it in. This is a fresh pitch, it is biscuit coloured and looks a beauty but it will be lower and slower than the Oval. Jones stands tall and punches a single to the boundary rider on the off side. Wyatt-Hodge is up to the stumps… close! An inside edge on to pad and Beth Mooney loses sight of waht would actually have been a simple catch! Early let off for England. Wyatt-Hodge off the mark with a slash through cover and Amy Jones pinches a single off the final ball to make it seven runs off the first over.

Here we go! Lord’s looks an absolute picture, huge cheers ring out for Wyatt-Hodge and Amy Jones as they stride out to the middle. Kim Garth is going to open the bowling for Australia from the Nursery End. Play!

The players emerge onto the outfield for the anthems, well be underway very shortly. Can England grab this game by the scruff of the neck and post a decent score to put the Aussies under pressure. All eyes on Danni Wyatt-Hodge…

Hello to Kevin Tong!

“Looking forward to your live coverage of the final! It’s still half an hour to go but I’ve already clicked on to your page excitedly. You know what would make it even better? If this were bumped up above the live coverage of the Grand Prix on The Guardian’s Sport page HAHA. I do love F1, but this is a World Cup final after all, isn’t it? I know it won’t happen but one can try! Hopefully not the last World Cup final England make this year too!”

We can but hope on both of your points Kevin, though if I was a betting man I’d say the former is more likely than the latter…

TEAMS:

England: Amy Jones (wk), Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Nat Sciver-Brunt (c), Alice Capsey, Heather Knight, Freya Kemp, Dani Gibson, Charlie Dean, Sophie Ecclestone, Linsey Smith, Lauren Bell

Australia: Georgia Voll, Beth Mooney (wk), Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Ashleigh Gardner, Georgia Wareham, Annabel Sutherland, Nicola Carey, Sophie Molineux (c), Kim Garth, Lucy Hamilton

Australia have vanquished England in the World Cup finals of 2012, 2014 and 2018 bbbbut they have also failed to make the last two white ball World Cup finals in 2024 and 2025. They will be more than happy to spoil England’s party today. It will be interesting to see what the captains decide to do if they win the toss, the average first-innings score here is 158. Runs on the board and build some scoreboard pressure? That’d be my thinking. (You knurrr nuthin, Jim Wallace)

You feel both top order batting cards are crucial, Danni Wyatt-Hodge has been in sparkling form all tournament and Sciver-Brunt and Heather Knight got some time in the middle and proved their big game credentials with a crucial partnership against South Africa in the semi-final, digging England out of a 25-3 shaped hole. Beth Mooney is a key wicket for Australia, she’s got them over the line many times in big games including world finals, her and Sciver-Brunt both have eight T20 World Cup fifties apiece.

“C’mon ICC!” Ora shouts from the stage. That is quite funny.

In February 2023, after Australia won their fourth consecutive world title, at Newlands, Beth Mooney was asked what advice she would give to a team who were trying to beat hers. She thought for a moment, then said: “Just don’t turn up. It’s too hard. Don’t bother going.” There can be no better summary of what England will be up against on Sunday when they face Australia in the final of the Women’s T20 World Cup at Lord’s.

Of course, other teams continued to turn up: South Africa triumphed over Australia in 2024’s semi-final, while India replicated the feat in the 50-over World Cup last year. But for a team with no silverware in their possession, Australia are pretty relaxed about life right now. On Thursday the team were spotted in the crowd at Wimbledon, Phoebe Litchfield leading an “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie” chant. They will know very well that they are massive favourites to spoil England’s party on Sunday, after a flawless run in the group stages and a hammering of West Indies in Tuesday’s semi-final.”

Raf Nicholson is at Lord’s for us and has written about the task England have on their hands in the coming hours.

It is hot and sunny at Lord’s, Rita Ora is currently doing her thing under pristine blue skies as the stands fill up.

It’s fair to say Nat Sciver-Brunt and her side don’t sound like the biggest Ora fans going: