INTERNATIONAL: Opener Alyssa Healy smashed a record 170 as Australia routed England by 71 runs to claim their seventh Women's World Cup win in Christchurch on Sunday 3rd April.
Healy's belligerent 138-ball innings, the highest total in a World Cup final, helped Australia set a mammoth victory target of 357 at Hagley Oval which proved beyond the defending champions despite a fighting century by Nat Sciver.
Sciver's unbeaten 148 entertained the crowd but she played a lone hand as England was bowled out for 285 with six overs to spare.
Meg Lanning's Australia finished unbeaten in nine matches, erasing their 2017 World Cup disappointment when they were stunned in the semi-finals by India in England.
The peerless Australians have now won three of the last five 50-over World Cups and own both the major global trophies, having claimed the T20 World Cup on home soil in 2020.
Four days after hammering 129 in the semi-final against West Indies, Healy again burnished her big-game credentials.
Two years ago, she routed India's bowlers in a 39-ball 75 as Australia won the T20 World Cup final in Melbourne.
On Sunday, she blasted 26 fours as Australia posted 356 for five after England skipper Heather Knight won the toss and elected to field.
England's bowling plans were ripped to shreds as Healy and Rachael Haynes put on a 160-run opening stand, enabled by dropped catches and poor fielding.
Haynes (68) might have been run out on 19 but for a weak throw to the wicketkeeper's end.
Seamer Kate Cross was let down twice in four balls by her team mates, with Haynes dropped for 47 and Healy for 41.
Healy cut seamer Anya Shrubsole for a single to bring up her fifth ODI century, yelping in delight as her husband Mitchell Starc, the Australian men's fast bowler, clapped in the crowd.
She was again dropped on 136 at short fine leg by a leaping Tammy Beaumont trying to scoop Sciver.
Finally stumped by Amy Jones off Shrubsole, Healy strolled off to a standing ovation, having carried Australia to 316 for two.
With England needing more than seven runs an over, Sciver was magnificent in her 121-ball knock but ran out of batting partners.
Pace bowler Megan Schutt (2-42) did the early damage, removing both England openers to leave them 38 for two, before legspinner Alana King (3-64) took over in the middle overs.
Left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen took 3-57, sealing the win when tail-ender Shrubsole slogged to Ashleigh Gardner at mid-off.
Knight said she was "massively proud" of her team for reaching the final after losing their first three matches, and defended her decision to field first.
AUSTRALIA PLAYER, ALYSSA HEALY, Said:
"I don't think relief is the right word. I think it's just it's pride. I'm so proud of this group to be able to, to, I use the word reinvent, but whatever word you want to use it, we came together as a squad and said this is how we want to play our cricket from now on and we're going to be the best team in the world and for all 15 people in the squad and I think the girls outside the squad that have come in and contributed to be able to buy into that has been unbelievable and I think that's a culture created by the lady sitting next to me and Rach (Haynes) and (Matthew) Mottty. Yeah, not relief, I'm just really proud of this group to have done what we've done over the last five years and I think the trophy in our hands is just the final piece of the puzzle that needed to happen."
AUSTRALIA CAPTAIN, MEG LANNING, Said:
"I think there's no doubt this is pretty high on the list. You know, we obviously go out there to win every game that we play, but it's not easy, you're playing against extremely good teams, who are chasing you really and they're coming out to play their best cricket, against you. So, you know, we've been able to really evolve as a group and play the style of cricket that we've spoken about. We've said how we've wanted to play and how we've wanted to operate as a team, and the thing that really stands out for me, and I'm really proud of, is that we actually go out there and do it and I think we've really shown that in this tournament. You know, we have a really clear style of play and we want to take the game on and make it difficult for opposition teams. So, you know, to be able to come away with a World Cup win, I think as Midge (Alyssa Healy) said, is just the final piece. You know, there's been a lot of hard work gone on to get to this point, from players and support staff as well, and not just the players who are here, there's a lot of others as well, who've been part of it through the journey so yeah, just as a squad, the players and staff there's a lot of hard work and it's nice to get the reward here at the end."
ENGLAND CAPTAIN, HEATHER KNIGHT, Said:
"Yeah, obviously very disappointed. I think, really proud of Nat (Sciver) and the fight she put on to give us a chance of winning. We, unfortunately, didn't have anyone with her to be able to really maximise two set batters, I guess. But, yeah, I think credit to Australia, the way they played in a final was pretty amazing really. They made it very tricky for us to set fields, it was a very good wicket. And the innings by Alyssa, yeah, was outstanding, one of the best I've certainly seen live. So, yeah, obviously disappointed, but I think we can take a lot of pride in what we've done as a group, the way we've fought throughout the competition to be in this position and the way we fought tonight."
"Yeah, a lot of positives. I think the character and the resilience in the group to turn it around after those first three games when obviously we were in a pretty tough situation shows volumes I think about this group and the people that we've got in it and the staff we've got as well, to get here with a chance of winning, but I think in terms of things we need to do differently I think it will take a bit of time to digest what went wrong and I think also it's fair to say credit to Australia, they've outplayed us tonight, they've brought the best game on the biggest stage, so fair play to them."
PHOTO: WOMEN'S CRICKET WORLD CUP FINAL POST-MATCH NEWS CONFERENCES WITH AUSTRALIA AND ENGLAND PLAYERS
