Published By: Nibandh Vinod
Last Updated: April 03, 2023, 07:20 IST
Australia won the match by 71 runs and ended their five-year quest to win their seventh ODI title. (Image: Twitter/Cricket Australia)
Australia won its seventh women’s ODI World Cup, beating England by 71 runs in the final on the back of a record-breaking innings by Alyssa Healy. She scored 170 off 138 balls
ON THIS DAY IN 2022: Meg Lanning and Co made history on April 3, 2022, by defeating England in the final of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup. In the process, the invincible Australian team won a record seventh title. After winning the toss, England skipper Heather Knight chose to field first.
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The decision backfired on England as Australia’s imperious top-order smashed England bowlers to all parts of the ground. It can be said that Australia’s openers, Alyssa Healy and Rachael Haynes, took the game away from England.
Healy in particular appeared to be in the form of her life as she stitched together a 160-run opening partnership with Haynes.
When Haynes was dismissed in the 30th over, Healy got together with Beth Mooney to take the wind out of England’s sails. By the time Healy was finally dismissed, she had notched up a memorable hundred and effectively batted England out of the game. Healy’s 170 came in just 138 balls and was laced with 26 fours.
Except Anya Shrubsole, every England bowler went for plenty. Australia ultimately finished at 356/5 and it looked all but over for England.
While chasing the daunting target, England had the worst possible start.
Megan Schutt dismissed Danni Wyatt in the third over itself with an absolute peach of a delivery. After the dismissal of Wyatt, Tammy Beaumont took the attack to the Aussies and appeared to be in sizzling touch. However, Schutt struck again by trapping Beaumont plumb in front of the stumps.
Despite wickets falling at the other end, Nat Sciver didn’t throw away her wicket. Sciver first partnered with skipper Heather Knight to build a 48-run partnership. Although this partnership steered England out of troubled waters, Australia kept on applying the pressure.
With the required rate mounting, the likes of Amy Jones and Sophia Dunkley could not convert their good starts into big scores. It was Sciver who fought till the end and smashed a fine century.
Chasing a big target in a World Cup final is always tricky. So Sciver’s gritty knock is truly special and is testament to her class. But Sciver couldn’t prevent the mighty Aussies from winning the high-voltage fixture. In the end, Australia won the match by 71 runs and ended their five-year quest to win their seventh ODI title.
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