World Cup winners earn plaudits
Giles Clarke, the chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board, today led the congratulations for the England team on their success in the ICC Women's World Cup in Australia.
Clarke was at the North Sydney Oval to see England beat New Zealand by four wickets in an exciting final.
He had the opportunity soon after the official presentations to congratulate the team personally.
“This was a tense and highly emotional final,” he said.
“It was a privilege to be there to see how much this meant to the England girls and everyone connected with this marvellous team.
“They have worked extremely hard for this day and they all deserve their success and recognition for this triumph. What they have achieved today in Sydney will be remembered for generations but most of all will continue to inspire girls and women for years to come.
“In the last two years we have averaged a 45% increase in participation in the women's game which is a remarkable achievement.
“I am personally delighted because I have been a long time supporter of the women's game in England and Wales. Everyone connected with women's cricket can be extremely proud of this day.
“We have the best team in the world, the best player in the world in Charlotte Edwards and the best player in this tournament in Claire Taylor.
“The backroom staff should not be forgotten either for all their hard work nor Clare Connor, the ECB's head of women's cricket who was here in Sydney as well."
ECB chief executive David Collier said: “This success of the England team is richly deserved. They have equalled the world record for the number of successive victories during the course of this event and now they have won the World Cup for the first time since 1993 - their third success in this event.
England captain Charlotte Edwards parades the women's World Cup at the North Sydney Oval
“One of the key objectives when ECB launched our strategic plan back in 2005 was to have all our teams at the pinnacle of the sport and I am delighted that the women have been able to achieve this target in such style.
“They now hold the Ashes and the World Cup with the ICC World Twenty20 to come.”
Connor added: “This has been a really special day for women's cricket. All the players and management deserve the greatest of respect for their remarkable triumph.
“We will return with the ICC World Cup on Tuesday and immediately set about taking the momentum into the ICC World Twenty20 to be held in England in June.
“The ICC World Twenty20 is a real opportunity for people to get behind the team in the group stages which are being held at Taunton.
“Then their is the chance for the team to take part in a historic moment for the women's game when the women's semi-finals and the final of the ICC World Twenty20 will be held on the same day, infront of the same crowd as the men's semis and final.”
The team will return on Tuesday with the ICC World Cup from Sydney.
