Though the skipper would prevail. Seeing through an opening victory over South Africa, Molineux didn’t look back. She led the side to top of Group A unbeaten, before a barnstorming win at The Oval in their semi-final to carry the favourites tag for the Final.
And on Sunday, her side stifled the hosts despite a parochial sell-out crowd, a feat she says is incredibly fulfilling as leader of the group.
“Yeah, it does hit different (as captain). The whole tournament hits different.
“I suppose there was a big lead up to it. There was a little bit more responsibility, and I suppose you ride all the emotions probably a little bit more intensely. “But I was just over the moon for the group. The group deserved that.
“I think we came in with a lot of belief, and we’ve done a lot of work on how we wanted to play and how we want the things to feel like, and how we’re going to respond when there is pressure or at times they were coming at us. We did a lot of work in preparation for this and I suppose there’s always nerves coming into it, not knowing if we work or not. For it to all to play out the way it has, it’s extremely satisfying.”
The captain was also brought up as a ringleader in orchestrating the team’s celebrations, though admits she was not the genesis of the now-famous recreation of Shane Warne’s photo on the Lord’s balcony.
