Australia well-prepared for rivals England in final

Australia are relishing the chance to play the old enemy England in the Women's Cricket World Cup final on Sunday.

While Australia have won eight straight in New Zealand, the English have dug themselves out of a hole to reach the decider.

Heather Knight's side started 0-3, including an opening loss to Australia that lengthened a miserable run.

Including the five winless Commonwealth Bank Women's Ashes matches across all formats earlier this summer, England went eight matches without victory before mounting their form reversal.

Beth Mooney, one of Australia's stars with the bat at the World Cup, hat-tipped England's effort while issuing a warning of what would come next.

"We played them obviously in the first-round game and I think everyone was happy to have a bit of a break from them," she told AAP.

"They fought their way to the final and kudos to them.

"But not much of what's happening this tournament matters now because you've got to show up at the right time on Sunday."

Mooney worked out how much she didn't like losing to England back in 2017.

It wasn't at the last ODI World Cup - although England had Australia's measure in the group stage of that tournament - but during the Ashes series that came a few months later.

At the time, Australia was deep in its post-World Cup navel gazing, a galvanising period when the world No.1s examined why they fell short and vowed not to do so again.

Instead, the defeat came at Coffs Harbour, in the third match of their Ashes series, when Austalia fell short in a rain-affected chase.

"We beat them 2-1 in a one-day series and lost the last game. There was a bitter taste in our mouth that we let them get one back," she said.

"Since then we've made a real concerted effort to make sure that if we do have them 2-0 down ... we really come home strong and beat them again.

"We do enjoy beating them to be honest. There is a huge rivalry there."

Australia haven't lost an ODI to England since, a five-year run that includes seven matches.

Jess Jonassen agreed "it's always nice to beat England".

"And fortunately, we've been on the winning side a little bit recently," she said.

"There's such an incredible rivalry between us and England that I don't think anybody likes coming out on the losing end.

"It's always high stakes. And a World Cup final, it doesn't get any bigger."

Off-spinner Sophie Ecclestone has been a key to the English revival in New Zealand, taking 20 scalps to be the tournament's leading wicket-taker, including 6-36 in the semi-final against South Africa.

Mooney said the Australian are of her threat, saying "she's probably come up against teams that don't play a lot against her".

"In the Ashes series and the (World Cup) game against her, our batting group played her exceptionally well. (At the World Cup against Australia) she went for 0-77 in her 10 overs," she said.

"We've got a few better plans to some of their bowlers now. We understand she's a bit of a threat. But we're also pretty comfortable with our batting and how we're going to take her on."

ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2022

Australia squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Grace Harris, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Beth Mooney, Tahlia McGrath, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Amanda-Jade Wellington. Travelling reserves: Heather Graham, Georgia Redmayne

Australia's World Cup 2022 fixtures

Mar 5: Beat England by 12 runs

Mar 8: Beat Pakistan by seven wickets

Mar 13: Beat New Zealand by 141 runs

Mar 15: Beat West Indies by seven wickets

Mar 19: Beat India by six wickets

Mar 22: Beat South Africa by five wickets

Mar 25: Beat Bangladesh by five wickets

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL WORLD CUP SCHEDULE

Semi-finals

Mar 30: Australia beat West Indies by 157 runs

Mar 31: England beat South Africa by 137 runs

Final

Apr 3: Australia v England, Hagley Park Christchurch, 11am AEST

All matches to be broadcast in Australia on Fox Cricket and Kayo Sports