SUSSEX’S awesome foursome are on top of the world today after helping England to glory.

Caroline Atkins, Sarah Taylor, Holly Colvin and Laura Marsh all played key roles as England lifted the World Cup for the first time in 16 years with a tense four-wicket win over New Zealand in Sydney with 23 balls remaining.

Atkins top-scored with 40 off 85 balls to finish fifth among the tournament’s leading run-scorers with 251 runs at 50.2 including three fifties, more than any other player.

Taylor, who had earlier taken three catches, made 39 from 45 deliveries, Colvin had the glory of hitting the winning runs after earlier taking her 50th ODI wicket and off-spinner Laura Marsh took 2-34 to confirm her place as the leading wicket-taker with 16 victims.

England dismissed the Kiwis for 166 and were on course for a comfortable victory when Taylor and Atkins guided them to within half of their target.

Lucy Doolan (3-23) removed both to spark a mini slump which saw five wickets fall for 40 runs from 109-1 but player of the match Nicki Shaw joined forces with Colvin to guide England to victory.

Shaw, who only came into the side ten minutes before the start after Jenny Gunn injured her calf in the warm-up, was 17 not out to add to her 4-34 with the ball.

Skipper Charlotte Edwards, a veteran of four World Cups, paid tribute to Colvin’s calmness under pressure as England got to their target.

She said: “We made really hard work of it but it doesn’t matter how you win, as long as you win.

“I was biting my fingernails at the end because I didn’t want us to mess it up. We had done so well in the field, we bowled and fielded well, so to let it slip stupidly would have been disastrous but Holly and Nicky had it all under control.

“It’s great having the trophy but I think it will take a couple of days to sink in.

“We are world champions – it is just believing it now.”