Australia, led by a sublime 170 from Alyssa Healy, rewrote the record books to beat a valiant England by 71 runs in the Women’s World Cup final in Christchurch on Sunday.
Australia amassed a daunting 356 for five but the defending champions England, faced with a record target, kept up with the run rate but ran out of wickets to be dismissed for 285 in the 44th over, with Nat Sciver unbeaten on 148.
The victory continued Australia’s dominance of the 50-over format with their seventh title from 12 World Cups and extended their one-day international record to 38 wins from 39 matches over the past four years.
Healy went on from a run-a-ball century to record the second-highest ODI score by an Australian woman and to lead Australia to an extraordinary total of 356-5 as it batted after losing the toss at Hagley Oval in Christchurch.
Healy’s 160-run opening partnership with Rachael Haynes in just over 29 overs dampened the spirts of an England team which was hoping for back-to-back titles after winning the 2017 World Cup at home.
Her 156-run partnership with Beth Mooney for the second wicket left England close to despair.
Had it been a one-off, Healy’s innings would have been an extraordinary and memorable one. But Healy also made 129 and put on 216 with Haynes in Australia’s semifinal win over the West Indies five days ago.
Haynes made 85 in the semifinal and followed up with 68 from 93 balls on Sunday. Beth Mooney followed her unbeaten 43 in the semifinal with 62 from 47 balls against England, including a half century from 38 deliveries.
England now has to score at more than seven runs per over throughout its innings to match Australia’s total.
Only Belinda Clark, who made an unbeaten 229 against Denmark in 1997, has scored more runs for Australia than Healy in one-day international innings. The fact that Healy did it in a World Cup final made her innings even more of a landmark in Australian and women’s cricket.
Australia was 316-2 when she was out in the 30th over. From the 138 balls she faced, she hit 26 fours.
Her signature shot was to step back to leg and strike the ball through or over the off-side field, usually between point and cover. Even with the prior knowledge she would attempt the shot, England was unable to prevent it. But she played a full range of shots, including pulls, drives and scoops.
Among other milestones, she took her tally of runs in the tournament to 509, a record for a Women’s World Cup which overtook the record set by Haynes during her innings in the final.
Australia came into the tournament as the top-ranked team in women’s one-day internationals and as the favorite to win the world title for the seventh time.
That favoritism hardened as it reached the final unbeaten in eight matches and with a 157-run semifinal win over the West Indies.
England’s path to the final was more difficult. It lost its first three matches and couldn’t afford to lose another if it was to be able to defend its title.
England went on to win five matches in a row in virtual knockout circumstances and to reach the final with a 137-run semifinal win over South Africa.
(With inputs from AFP)
