Trafalgar Square embraces the colour, vibrancy and diversity of a fabulous Cricket World Cup Final

NICK HOWSON AT TRAFALGAR SQUARE: The sun shines, the beer flies, the fountains fill and the fun flows from the only official public screening of New Zealand v England in the heart of London

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"Leave the fountain or we're going to have to cancel the entertainment. We need everyone to leave the fountain."

They're not listening. They don't care. But this is cricket. This is what cricket does. It can provoke you into doing silly, irrational things which make no sense. And that is just a selection of fans. What on earth do the rest of us do?

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The 2003 Rugby World Cup final. The announcement of London's hosting of the 2012 Olympics. The 2002 football World Cup quarter-final between England and Brazil. The celebration of victory in the 2005 Ashes. Trafalgar Square might be steeped in its own history of a different kind, but its relationship with sport is becoming as symbolic as its link with 1805 and Lord Horatio Nelson.

You can now add to that list the Cricket World Cup final which by no exaggeration could rival the Pride parade for being one of the greatest examples of diversity this city has seen in the 21st century.

We live in a county which is regularly described as divided, consumed by fear, even. Though individuals often try to disrupt the dynamic, sport has a unique ability to unite people regardless of race, religion, gender, sexuality or even political persuasion. It is the ultimate slate-cleaner. If only more people knew.

VISIT THE WORLD CUP HUB

The only time all day there is any kind of rough and tumble (relatively) is at the start. Three hundred-odd are queued outside and upon the doors being opened, there is a surge to the three dozen or so deck chairs which are in a prime spot in front of the biggest of the two screens. It is the youth version of the MCC members 'racing' towards the Lord's pavilion. But once their towels are down, so to speak, there are some very happy souls among the dedicated early risers.

Those seats are part of a major operation in central London. The City Celebrations, as the ICC have unfortunately coined, have done a roadshow across the UK to coincide with the biggest games taking place across the 11 venues. But this is the largest operation of them all.

The 6,000 capacity space - it regularly flirted with being full to the brim during play - requires many meters of fencing which stretches across the adjacent Pall Mall East road, and needs a dozen food outlets, two bars, 44 toilets and 130 security personnel to keep it in operation. The three-day build has been 12 months in the making and that time has been used wisely.

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Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the site is the four cricket activation zones. Participants, particularly children, are encouraged to take part in each one which earns them a stamp. Four stamps sees them awarded with a bat and ball set. By the end of the day 400 of these have been given to the public for free. That, in many ways, makes a World Cup all seem worth it and ensures this is more than just a screening of a major event, it could be the day when the penny drops and cricket becomes an inspiration for one girl or boy.

As far as the final is concerned, unless you are one of the 30,000 fortunes enough to be inside Lord's, this is the next best place. Your sofa might provide comfort and familiarity but it won't give you the feeling of truly being part of something. And among the crowd there are some cheery tales to tell, even if they are not without some concern.

The Jackson family have travelled all the way from New Zealand, partly to visit the four corners of England and also to watch the 2015 runners-up in action. Having been to the first match against England at Chester-le-Street they have driven down from Norwich specifically for the screening, having turned down two tickets from acquaintances for £1250 a turn.

^{Shown in the shadow of The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square was a picture}

They speak effusively of the warmth which has greeted them to British shores but note that their return to London in search of the cricket was mainly motivated by an inability to find anywhere showing it. Hotels and pubs which they pursued either couldn't or wouldn't broadcast their favourite sport. And so to the capital they came. 

Indeed, unless they were in a host town or city - all of which were adorned with Cricket World Cup paraphernalia - each of the family including their two teenage sons insisted there was no evidence of the tournament taking place at all. And for enthusiasts of the sport, that is worrying if a not unsurprising account.

Jan and her friends are also Kiwis and have jetted to England specifically for the World Cup. The edition in 2015 Down Under which they attended to a similar level of dedication has been firmly eclipsed. There is however another familiar tale of a final ticket being offered their way, this time for a slightly reduced £780. A snip.

Jasper, the eight-year-old son of Steve, is exactly the target market for a tournament like this. A thus far unengaged kid has caught on to his father's enthusiasm but unfortunately, his school are not keeping up their end of the deal, only offering cricket as an evening extra. That 7% of schoolchildren playing cricket that the ECB claim looks even smaller.

Perhaps the most fruitful meeting comes with members of an Under-15 Australian touring side, New South Wales Vikings. A tournament which has not been dominated by the bat like many expected has offered a learning experience to many of them. Building an innings, bowling on a length and showing discipline and fortitude might not be skills which are in-vogue but displays dominated by these traits have rubbed off on these individuals. And yes, Test cricket remains their premier format.

^{A sun-decked day welcomed England's first World Cup win}

The tension of the contest means the atmosphere takes a seismic turn with 10 overs remaining. The several thousand people in attendance become, if possible, even more united. If sport doesn't unify people then drama, of any sort, certainly does. The switches in momentum are more violent than an Eastenders Christmas special and the crowd goes with it, going deathly quiet when England are staring down the barrel of a devastating defeat, only to turn euphoric when a dramatic run chase ends as a tie.

The Super Over can only be described as pandemonium. Kids are being passed from one anxious parent to another, heads are permanently living in hands, fingers are chewed down to the bone. And then the moment. The waiting for Jofra Archer. The connection from Martin Guptill. The stop from Jason Roy. New Zealand turn for a second. The throw. Joe Buttler whips the bails off. England win. Beer everywhere. Euphoria has not been seen like this before. Strangers are embracing with other strangers.  People are in the fountains. They're on the fountains. And soon, they are the fountains. Horatio wouldn't be impressed.

You wonder where cricket goes from here. Millions will have seen this historic moment. England's win was seen and heard by millions thanks to free-to-air television and radio, and due to events like these it galvanised a community spirit which should be everything this small island is all about. Even if this isn't the moment that inspires a new generation of new cricketers it should be celebrated for what it is, a moment of unrelenting joy. Something worth fighting for.

No, you're crying.

Our coverage of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 is brought to you in association with Cricket 19, the official video game of the Ashes. Order your copy now at Amazon.co.uk