Dean: England can create another defining World Cup moment

Charlie Dean was in the stands as a 16-year-old fan the last time a Women's World Cup final was played in England. The 2017 contest at Lord's became a thriller, with England lifting the trophy in front of a packed audience. The hosts won, just as they had every time a Women's World Cup has been played at home, and the euphoria lasted for weeks.

Women's cricket took a different turn thereafter – in England, India, and globally. So when the 2026 T20 World Cup was scheduled for England, there were reasons for excitement.

Three players from that 2017 squad – Nat Sciver-Brunt, Heather Knight and Danni Wyatt-Hodge – are still around and have played key roles in England's march to the final of the ongoing World Cup.

"We chatted about the 2017 World Cup when we got together as a squad and how much of an impact that final had on us. It's amazing that the ones with longevity are still churning out runs. All three have a calm nature, and I feel like they will stand up in the final. Trying to learn from them and embrace the situation we're going to be in," Dean said.

England are hunting their first World Cup trophy since 2017, having been sidelined as the second biggest force in world cricket since then. Nearly a year ago, they couldn't buy a win against Australia. The captain was sacked, the coach ousted, and the new leadership group took time to find its footing. Over recent months, the results have become evident.

It's shown at a personal level for Dean, who not only led the side in Sciver-Brunt's absence but has also improved as a fielder. She credits fielding coach Nick Walton.

"Our fielding coach comes with a lot of passion. He has this session he calls 'disco fielding' – under lights, he borrows his wife's glittery jacket, and we do fielding drills to each song he plays, pumping the music to get us hyped. I love how he makes us passionate about fielding and keeps it fun. There's an air of confidence about us now that has grown over the last year."

She also points to a critical aspect – agency.

"Progress happens with dedication over time. We put in the work, especially the last year, being really specific with our fielding under pressure – funky sessions to emulate the chaos of games. There's been a lot of agency. Girls who know their fielding positions do specific work to replicate what they'll face in games. That extra detail has put us in great stead."

With that confidence, England have marched to the final unbeaten and almost unscathed. Now they face long-time nemesis Australia, the other unbeaten team.

"At the beginning of the year, we set out to reach a home World Cup final. We know how impactful 2017 was. To get through the group stages and win under pressure is huge for us."

Australia is the best team in the world and has given England rough times recently. But Dean believes they can start fresh.

"We've not played them in six months or so, so it feels like a fresh start. We know how brilliant they are – they've dominated their games too. They're very skilful, and we need our best cricket to beat them. On final day, it's whoever rocks up and plays best. What's happened before doesn't matter. We're in a great place as a team, but we also know the force Australia are. It's about balancing confidence with good preparation."

Dean has seen the change that followed the 2017 World Cup win – investment into domestic tournaments and progress for women's cricket – and hopes this batch can do the same.

"It was a huge moment a few years ago. Hopefully we can emulate that."