For those of you who watched the World Cup Finals, it was sure to have been an emotional roller coaster. The adversaries were well matched – New Zealand and England, both underdogs of the cricketing world who’ve never won the cup before.

And their stories resonated. So much so that we didn’t know which team to truly side with! As the nail-biting match continued into a super over, there were so many wonderful lessons. Sportsmanship. Strategy. Team spirit. The compelling play and a fine game of cricket made sure we remained invested until the very last ball.

But now that a fortnight has passed since the redefining match and we are less of an emotional wreck, it is time to reflect on the incredible game and its takeaways. There are many lessons to be learnt and applied, we’ve handpicked five.

1. Aiming for a good start

This can be said of World Cup 2019 more than any other world cup – it was good from the start. All teams were well prepared, especially the teams going into the semi-finals and beyond – India, Australia, New Zealand and England. They brought their A-game and a fiery passion for cricket that was hard to ignore.

It is important to bring this type of consistency and commitment to your own personal and financial projects. Aim for a start and keep goals. Whether you are fresh out of university, starting a family or living your golden years – it’s never too late!

2. About decision making

It was easy to see the toll the game was taking on New Zealand towards the end. There were far too many emotional decisions. One was so expensive, it cost them 6 runs when New Zealand fielder Martin Guptill accidentally overthrew the ball towards the boundary during the final and very close chase.

Making emotional decisions with your finances can have the same detrimental consequences. It is important to stay objective and focused. It’s a marathon, not a sprint!

3. Getting sound advice

Remember the LBW that got Ross Taylor out off Mark Wood in the 34th over? A bad decision by an experienced umpire that New Zealand simply couldn’t contest, for they had no reviews left. Martin Guptill had used up the last review for a “false” LBW call earlier.

Reviews are a limited resource that must be used up judiciously. Getting sound advice is crucial in such matters and in matters of financial planning and investment. As we’ve seen from the world cup final, it could be the difference between winning or losing a match!

4. Game-changing events

What spells “game-changing” better than a super over in a World Cup Final! New Zealand had the game under control when suddenly they didn’t. Unpredictability has been a part of this game! Experts had predicted that the pitch at Lords would yield 500+ runs in scores. But actually speaking, the majority of the matches were low scoring with teams making in the range of 240 runs each.

How do you account for unpredictability? By staying nimble, being flexible and adapting to change as it happens.

5. Moving forward

Now that the nerve-wracking match is over, we can all take a calming breath and think about what it means for cricket moving forward. There was so much adventure and spirit. And hopefully, all of it carries through to the next world cup.

Learning from the past is important and so is keeping the focus on your goals and moving forward with resilience.

The ICC Cricket World Cup final between New Zealand and England was close and it has taught us to appreciate the sport more than the winning. We hope a new team will emerge picking up their game and we’ll learn even more from a game of cricket the next time.

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