Sky Sports confirm Cricket World Cup final will be free-to-air… but schedule clash throws up headache for Channel 4 who must juggle coverage over two channels due to British Grand Prix

England’s Cricket World Cup final will be shown live on Channel 4 on Sunday

Sky Sports agreed for the game to be made available on free-to-air television

Channel 4 also have the rights to the British Grand Prix, but fans can watch it all

Jason Roy’s innings inspired England to a thumping semi-final win over Australia

England’s Cricket World Cup final will be shown live on Channel 4 on Sunday after Sky Sports agreed for the game to be made available on free-to-air television.

Eoin Morgan’s side booked their place in Sunday’s showpiece with a comprehensive eight-wicket win over Australia at Edgbaston.

Sunday’s match has given Channel 4 a problem though with the channel also owning rights to the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. However, they will show both events simultaneously while Lewis Hamilton and Co are racing.

Sky Sports’ coverage will start at 9am as England try to lift the Cricket World Cup for the first time.

It will then move to More4 from 1.15pm when the Grand Prix takes place, reverting to Channel 4 after the race has finished. All the action from Lord’s will also be available on Sky One.

Channel 4 chief executive Alex Mahon said: ‘This is fantastic news for cricket fans and the nation.

‘This Sunday is a massive day for British sport with England tantalisingly close to lifting the Cricket World Cup for the first time and Lewis Hamilton setting his sights on his seventh win of the season at Silverstone – all live on Channel 4.

‘The big winners of the strong partnership between Channel 4 and Sky are sports fans and viewers who want to come together for these big sporting occasions.’

Sky UK and Ireland chief executive Stephen van Rooyen added: ‘England in the final on home soil is a huge moment for sport in this country and we are proud to be the host broadcaster.

‘Thanks to our strong relationship with Channel 4, we are partnering to make the game available to everyone, so the whole country can get behind England, and be part of a special national sporting event.’

England swaggered into their first World Cup final in 27 years, blowing away rivals Australia by eight wickets to set up a winner-takes-all date with New Zealand at Lord’s.

The three-times runners-up are now firm favourites to land the trophy for the first time on Sunday, having thrashed the Black Caps by 119 runs in the group stage.

Chris Woakes, Jofra Archer and Adil Rashid performed wonders with the ball after Australia chose to bat first, reducing the visitors to 14 for three in a frenzied opening burst and ultimately restricting them to a lacklustre 223 all out.

England would have been mindful that they were bowled out for 221 and beaten by the same attack last month, but Jason Roy missed that game with a torn hamstring and his brilliant 85 put the game beyond a shellshocked Australia, who went down with 107 balls remaining.

Having already thrashed nine fours and five sixes, he would surely have gone on to a career-best hundred had he not been robbed in messy circumstances. Given caught behind despite making no contact with the ball, he instantly called for a review only to belatedly realise Jonny Bairstow had already used it up.

Roy lost his cool, remonstrating on the pitch and on his reluctant walk off, and needed soothing words from umpire Marais Erasmus to stop things getting worse.

The sour tone of his dismissal cannot detract from his outstanding efforts, which almost single-handedly banished England’s concerns about chasing, nor from the raucous celebrations which followed on the back of a decisive stand of 79 between Joe Root (49no) and Eoin Morgan (45no).

Archer and Woakes also excelled, taking two for 32 and three for 20, while Rashid bagged three scalps in his best display to date.

Article source: Daily Mail, by MAX WINTERS FOR MAILONLINE