Greatest game of all time for stars

JOE Root and Jonny Bairstow were unanimous in their verdict on England’s once-in-lifetime World Cup win, with both men convinced they have just played in the greatest game of all time.

That they would wake up on Monday morning as world champions was in itself no major surprise – it has been the driving ambition of the England and Wales Cricket Board for the past four years and they had homesoil advantage and world number-one status in their favour.

“It was ridiculous, genuinely ridiculous. Wow,” said Bairstow.

“There’s never going to be a game like that ever in history ever again.”

Root, England’s top run-scorer in the tournament with 556, concurred.

“What a day it was. Probably the best game of all time,” he said.“World champions...it sounds pretty special, doesn’t it? If you’d said it four years ago, I might not have believed you. But what a journey, what a tournament. If we’re honest, some things are just written in the stars.”

Bairstow had heard people say the same, sentiments that brought his father David to mind.

The former England international committed suicide in 1998 but remains a lifelong inspiration to his son.

“People said it was written in the stars... Dad was there, Grandpa was there. It was awesome.

“I’ve been through quite a bit and I’m able to relate to different things along the way.

“Of course, there are things that are tougher to go through than that (match) but the intensity of it was huge.”