England are preparing to take part in their seventh men’s World Cup final, with Pakistan standing in their way on Sunday in Melbourne.
England’s record in limited-overs showpieces currently stands at four defeats and two successes and, here, PA looks at how the previous trophies were won and lost.
1979, lost to West Indies by 92 runs
England reached their first final in the second edition of the men’s World Cup, coming up against the reigning champions and falling well short at Old Trafford. The West Indians made 286 for nine as Viv Richards cracked 138 and Collis King smashed his way to 86. In reply, England produced a pedestrian effort as Mike Brearley and Geoffrey Boycott eked out a slow century stand, ushering in a collapse as the required rate spiralled out of control.
1987, lost to Australia by seven runs
A bitter defeat in Kolkata that has long been remembered for captain Mike Gatting’s reverse sweep at a key moment in the chase. He and Bill Athey were well set to hunt down their old rivals’ score of 253 when he attempted a stroke that is now commonplace, but was seen as a flamboyant gamble at the time.
1992, lost to Pakistan by 22 runs
If England against Pakistan at the MCG with a trophy on the line sounds familiar, then it is. England felt and looked like champions-elect, only to be undone by a Pakistan side who scrapped their way to the final in various states of adversity. Imran Khan top-scored with 72 in what would be his final ODI, while Derek Pringle produced a superb spell of three for 22. Ian Botham’s duck set the tone for a failed chase, which saw England dismissed for 227.
2010, beat Australia by seven wickets
England’s first major global title came in the upstart T20 format, snapping their final jinx with a thumping win over their oldest foes in Barbados. Paul Collingwood’s energetic, well-balanced side bowled tidily and batted with vim as Craig Kieswetter and Kevin Pietersen got things finished in a hurry with 18 balls remaining.
2016, lost to West Indies by four wickets
A game neither Ben Stokes nor Carlos Brathwaite will ever forget. Stepping up to bowl the final over of the match with England hefty favourites, Stokes was clubbed for four successive sixes as Brathwaite played the cameo of a lifetime to salvage victory from near-certain defeat. Stokes would go on to have more good days than his conqueror, but on this night in Eden Gardens there was no contest.
2019, beat New Zealand on boundary countback
England spent an entire four-year cycle ripping up their outdated white-ball playbook and rebranding themselves as world beaters. Even so, it took the most nail-biting finish imaginable to hand them a first-ever ODI world title at Lord’s. This time Stokes was the hero, forcing an unlikely super-over finish which ended with scores level again and success on a tie-break technicality.
