Five sleeps and counting… James King shares his first thoughts ahead of the big showcase at Lord’s.

6th June 2025. T minus 5 days and counting. 

I was watching the Monaco Grand Prix a couple of weekends ago. Lando Norris exclaimed “It’s Monaco, Baby”, as he took the chequered flag. It’s the jewel in the crown, the win every F1 driver treasures. 

I feel the same about the WTC Final, at the home of cricket, Lord’s. Wait, let me pinch myself to prove this isn’t a dream. “It’s the WTC Final, it’s Lord’s, Baby!” 

I think Piet Botha, the Proteas bowling coach, feels the same. “As a small boy you think about one day being in test cricket, and you want to play against Australia and you want to play at Lord’s and suddenly it happens all at once. It’s big and it’s also awesome.”

The excitement is palpable around the team. You feel though that it is tempered by the sense of history, of potential sporting greatness. There is also a feeling that there is something special about this group of Proteas. This was echoed by one of their Zimbabwean counterparts. He highlighted their Unity, Clarity and Sense of Purpose. 

Many share the view that Shukri Conrad has forged their steely resolve, their camaraderie, their togetherness, their success. He is a larger-than-life character, a man who backs himself and the men he chooses. A man with his men, primed for the big occasion. 

If there was a word like “bigness” I think that would describe it perfectly. It’s like the old advert for Big Korn Bites: “Eez Beeeeg, eez very very Beeeeg”

So big I trekked to the quaint and historic Arundel today. What a wonderful setting for an historic cricket oval, established in 1895. In addition to that, the town has a castle, a cathedral, a museum, a river, a high street, a railway station and plenty of pubs! What more could one ask for?

Now I go from the countryside of Sussex to St John’s Wood. I’ve planned my route on the tube, and know how long it will take to get there. Tomorrow I’ll figure out where I will set up to chat to the fans outside the ground. I’ll get my accreditation and that too will bring with it a sense of belonging. A King at Lord’s, sounds like it works! 

5 sleeps and counting…