World Cup Triumph: The Inside Account of the England Cricket Team's Victorious Campaign

Description

From English cricket's embarrassing failure at the 2015 World Cup to heart-stopping victory, Nick Hoult and Steve James vividly describe the team's dramatic journey from abject disappointment to lifting the trophy four years later. The date was Sunday 14th July and the venue was Lord's - the home of cricket - and the World Cup Final was arguably the greatest one-day match of all time. This book reveals how the team became the most aggressive limited-overs side in the world, led by their inspirational captain Eoin Morgan. It was his vision and determination to succeed that captured the imagination of the nation, lifted the side to No 1 in the rankings and favourites for their own World Cup. Hoult and James follow England's journey from Bangladesh to Barbados, from Melbourne to Manchester, attending press conferences, matches and net sessions that gave them unrivalled insight. They uncover details not previously revealed, through interviews and conversations with the leading figures involved. They also describe the meetings that took place to begin the one-day revolution that had been set in motion by the new director of cricket, Andrew Strauss, and captain Morgan. Morgan studied the All Blacks as he searched for a new team ethos that will be passed down to future generations of England players. They tell how the team dealt with the Ben Stokes court case, the sacking of Alex Hales for a drugs ban, and the inside track on innovative new strategies and tactics that helped them become the best in the world. There are reports from every match England played at the 2019 tournament, detailing every high and low, which includes profiles of the key men in the team. There are also details of the inspirational video shown to the team at their lowest ebb after defeat to Australia. The book reaches a climax with the Super Over showdown with New Zealand and the glorious aftermath of England's famous victory.

Nick Hoult is the cricket news correspondent for the Daily Telegraph. He is the author of The Daily Telegraph Book of Cricket. He has reported on cricket all over the world and ghosted books by many of the leading figures in the game including Michael Vaughan, Shane Warne, Kevin Pietersen and during the 2019 World Cup, Jonny Bairstow. Steve James is a former Glamorgan and England cricketer, who is now a cricket and rugby writer for The Times. This is his tenth book. He has written The Plan and The Art of Centuries, as well as an autobiography. He has ghosted books for Duncan Fletcher and Matt Prior. He lives in Cardiff.