Ellie Cardwell has one of the most expressive faces in netball. You can tell when England’s goal shooter is up, because her grin has the wattage of a battleship’s searchlight and at the start of this World Cup final she seemed to encapsulate her team’s confidence and joie de jouer. She sunk a shot from halfway back in the circle, and gestured to the crowd to make some noise. A lightning three-pass move left her in empty space under the net – the goal went in and she stuck two thumbs high in the air.
So much had happened in English netball in the past three days that the Roses might easily have collapsed under the weight of history. On Friday they beat Australia for the first time at this tournament, on Saturday they overcame the reigning champions to reach their first final. They couldn’t secure their first title against the world No 1 side, but they still played with the adventure and spirit that brought them, unbeaten, to this point.
