The appointment of Kumar Dharmasena as one of the umpires for the match on Thursday between England and New Zealand in the opening World Cup game seemed appropriate: if the teams involved in the 2019 final, that dramatic day at Lord’s, were being thrown back together at the earliest opportunity, may as well toss in an official and make it a full-blown reunion.
The schedule already guaranteed that the most discussed match during the tournament buildup would be the final of the last one, a showdown of breathtaking drama that set a standard no humble group game can hope to reach.
