Alyssa Healy played one of the finest innings in ODI history to lift Australia a record seventh ICC Women’s World Cup title at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Sunday. Batting first, Healy played a brilliant innings of 170 runs at a mammoth total of 356/5 and then bowled out England for 285 as Australia won the final by 71 runs.
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Australia won all their matches on their way to the title, stamping their authority in a memorable World Cup campaign. Healy played a brilliant innings of 170 runs in 138 balls including 26 fours.
In addition to Healy’s scintillating innings, her opening partner Rachel Haynes scored 68 while Beth Mooney justified her promotion to number three with a quick 47-ball 62.
In reply, England lost both their openers within seven overs, but Natalie Sciver kept the fight alive with a brilliant 148 of 121. However, she received little or no support from others.
For England, it was a forgettable day on the field where missed catches, misfields and wayward bowling made no sense after captain Heather Knight won the toss and elected to field first on the fresh pitch.
Healy and Haynes pushed England on the backfoot, after witnessing a swing challenge from pacers Katherine Brunt and Anya Shrubsole in the first ten overs. While Haynes was an early attacker, Healy soon took over from him to pull out a masterclass in scoring a big knock in the World Cup final.
Australia, especially Healy, took advantage of England’s mistakes on the field and with the ball as well. In the 21st over, both Healy and Haynes were dismissed by fast bowler Kate Cross for 42 and 47 by Nate Sciver and Danny Wyatt respectively. Although Haynes could not score a century, Healy made sure to stay at the crease after a 160-run stand and scored his second consecutive century in the knockout matches of the ongoing mega event.
Against spinners, Healy used his legs to dominate the spinners, especially Charlie Dean. She used to go on the backfoot several times to nail her cuts and drives and even scooped twice to score runs at a faster pace. Mooney praised him well with his quick shots during the 156-run partnership for the second wicket.
During her whirlwind innings, Healy became the first player, male or female, to score over 150 in a World Cup final, surpassing the 149 scored by Adam Gilchrist in the men’s final against Sri Lanka in 2007. Her tally of 509 runs has made her the tournament’s leading run-scorer and is also the most runs scored by a player in an edition of the Women’s Cricket World Cup.
Although Shrubsole came back to pick up the wicket and halted the run-flow towards the end of Australia’s innings, Healy’s stellar performance with a wide range of shots around the field put the six-time champions in pole position at intervals , leaving England, the defending champions staring at a high mountain to climb.
With IAN Input
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