Former England fast bowler Katherine Sciver-Brunt will be watching at Lord’s as her wife Nat attempts to lead her country to glory.
Though she is a nervous watcher – often seen unable to watch the games through nerves during her stints on BBC Test Match Special – as a player, she was ruthlessly competitive and no team ignited her passion more so than the Aussies.
“For me, I just saw it as the biggest fight,” Sciver-Brunt told BBC Sport, when asked how she approached the mental battle of playing Australia.
“When you play Australia, because they are so good, it brought out an animal in me because I had to go to that place. They bring out the best in you.
“But at the same time, they can defeat you before you’ve even started and I think that’s what happened with West Indies [in the semi-final] – Australia can get in your head before you’ve even set foot on the field and you can’t let that happen.”
England have met Australia twice since the fateful Ashes – a six-wicket defeat at the World Cup in October and a five-wicket loss in a warm-up match before this tournament began.
Despite that record, Sciver-Brunt does not think England will be dwelling on the past.
“As a recent ex-player, it’s really difficult for me to switch off my feelings when it comes to England v Australia,” Sciver-Brunt said with a laugh.
“I know they completely whooped us and as a player, I would be someone who latched on to that.
“But my head hasn’t gone there [to the Ashes] and I honestly don’t think it’s in theirs either. What you’re seeing from England is so different now and it’s happened very quickly.
“They’re riding this wave of a new start and a new beginning and they’ve got all the confidence and belief that you need to win something major.”
At Lord’s, though, the stakes are way higher and this is an England team who, in the past, has been accused of being unable to handle such occasions.
That is where a legend of the game steps in to steer the ship…
