Australia rout England in ICC Women’s World Cup Final behind Healy’s record-breaking century

Australia have defeated arch-rivals England by 71 runs in an ICC Women’s World Cup Final for the ages in Christchurch thanks to an extraordinary 170-run effort from opener Alyssa Healy.

Having thumped the West Indies by 157 runs to qualify for the Final, the Australian women entered play full of confident and poised to capture their seventh world title in the tournament’s 49-year history. Healy opened the batting alongside Rachael Haynes and the two started superbly, putting together a 160-run opening stand off the first 29 overs before Haynes skied a Sophie Ecclestone delivery to Tammy Beaumont at backward point. Beth Mooney, however, picked up where Haynes left off, smashing 62 runs of her own off just 47 balls.

The star of the show, however, was Healy who hit 170 runs off just 138 balls in an innings that was comprised of 26 boundaries. Healy became the first cricketer ever to surpass 150 runs in a World Cup Final and smashed the previous record of highest individual total set by Adam Gilchrist in 2007, who had 149. Australia lost a few wickets in the final overs as they attempted to run up their total. Healy was eventually dismissed by Anya Shrubsole, who also managed the wickets of Mooney and skipper Meg Lanning. Shrubsole was the pick of the bowlers, finishing with team-best figures of 3-for-46. The Australians finished at 5-for-356, setting up a mammoth run chase for England.

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England started off poorly losing opener Danni Wyatt in just the second over thanks to a peach of a delivery from Megan Schutt, who also managed to catch Beaumont leg-before just four overs later. Nat Sciver did what she could to steady the English innings but Australia continually managed to find breakthroughs as the 29-year-old began running out of partners. Heather Knight, Amy Jones, and Sophia Dunkley each got off to promising starts before being dismissed in the 20s. Leg-spinner Alana King claimed the wickets of Knight and Dunkley, whilst Jess Jonassen dismissed Jones.

Sciver, however, refused to lie down and put together several impressive partnerships with some of England’s tail-enders. Sciver and Charlie Dean put on an innings-best 65-run stand for the ninth wicket, which was eventually broken by Ashleigh Gardner. Despite showing a heap of fight, Sciver ran out of partners in the 43rd over when number-11 Shrubsole skied a Jonassen delivery to Gardner at mid-off to end the game. Sciver incredibly finished unbeaten on 148 in one of the great World Cup innings, however, the night belonged to Healy and the Australians.

Alyssa Healy finished as the tournament’s top run-scorer with 509 runs and was deservedly named Player of the Tournament. Opening partner Rachael Haynes finished second in total runs, whilst Nat Sciver was third. Fellow Australians Meg Lanning and Beth Mooney rounded out the top six. England’s Sophie Ecclestone finished as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with 21, whilst Jess Jonassen and Alana King finished in the top five, as Australian claimed their seventh women’s world crown and third in five attempts.