Australia win World Cup as dominant era continues

Alyssa Healy has ensured Australia's date with destiny has ended in triumph, producing a record-breaking masterclass that paved the way to a seventh one-day World Cup title.

Healy produced one of the most remarkable innings in one-day history, smashing 170 from 138 at Christchurch's Hagley Oval, before a valiant unbeaten hundred from Natalie Sciver went in vain as Australia sealed a 71-run win on a day for the record books in Christchurch.

The wicketkeeper-batter's ton – her second in as many innings – combined with Rachael Haynes' 68 and Beth Mooney's 62 powered Australia to 5-356, the highest total England's women have conceded in an ODI.

It left England facing an almighty task to defend their World Cup trophy, but Sciver made sure it was not a simple march for Australia, as she struck a brilliant hundred of her own, becoming the third woman to score a century in a World Cup final alongside Healy and Karen Rolton.

Her 121-ball 148 not out kept the required run-rate within reach throughout the chase, at times testing the nerve of the Australian bowlers, but she sorely lacked partners with Tammy Beaumont (27) the next highest scorer as England were ultimately bowled out for 285 in 43.3 overs.

It sealed Australia's seventh ODI Women's World Cup title, their first since 2013, and was the icing on the cake of a month of domination that saw Meg Lanning's team progress undefeated through nine matches.

The ODI World Cup now joins a bursting Australian trophy cabinet that also contains the T20 World Cup and the Ashes, and is the crowning moment of a five-year journey of redemption for Australia after their shock semi-final exit in 2017.

Sunday's final also ended England's dreams of a Cinderella story, having been on the cusp of elimination early in the round-robin stage before fighting their way back into the tournament.

Healy had talked the talk pre-game, declaring any chat about her being Katherine Brunt's bunny was "junk". And then she walked the walk.

Sent into bat by England under the Christchurch sun, Healy and opening partner Rachael Haynes were patient through the powerplay against the moving ball from Brunt and Anya Shrubsole, before going on the attack when off-spinner Charlie Dean was introduced.

Haynes was given a life on 47, dropped by Beaumont, and Healy was put down by Natalie Sciver on 41 in the same over.

England dearly paid for the errors, with both openers bringing up fifties shortly after as they laid the perfect foundation for their deep batting order.

Their 160-run partnership, the highest for any wicket in a women's World Cup final, was finally broken when Haynes top-edged Ecclestone in the 30th over, out for 68.

The left-hander finished her tournament on 497 runs – a new record for a single tournament – although it would not remain the record for long.

Australia then sprung a surprise, promoting usual No.5 Mooney to first drop ahead of Lanning, potentially to maintain a left-right combination and help counter the threat posed by Ecclestone's spin.

It worked, as Mooney quickly got going and Australia's T20 opening combination kept the pressure on England.

Healy's half-century came off 62 balls, then her second fifty took just 38 deliveries as she hit the accelerator, removing her helmet and raising the bat in consecutive ODIs for the first time in her career.

Rolton's record high score for a women's World Cup final (an unbeaten 107 against India in 2005) was reeled in yet Healy's relentless attack continued, passing Haynes' record and 500 runs for the tournament in the process.

Dropped again on 136, Healy's 150 came off 129 deliveries, and despite struggling with what appeared to be a sore back, still she tormented England, treating Sophie Ecclestone with distain as she whacked three consecutive boundaries off the tournament leading wicket-taker.

Healy's onslaught finally ended in the 46th over when she was stumped off the bowling of Anya Shrubsole, ending an innings featuring 26 fours.

The 32-year-old was met with a standing ovation as she strode from the ground, having taken her run tally for the tournament to 509 – a remarkable finish after she had 210 runs to her name at the end of the round-robin phase.

Mooney's half-century came off 38 balls, and when she departed for a 47-ball 62 in the 48th over Australia’s move to push Ashleigh Gardner up the order did not pay off when the powerful allrounder was run out on one.

Lanning (10 from 5), Perry (17no from 10) and McGrath (8no from 5) pushed Australia over the 350-mark for just the third time in their ODI history.   

Shrubsole (3-46 off 10) was the only England bowler to go for less than a run a ball while Ecclestone, the tournament's leading wicket-taker heading into the game (while maintaining an economy rate of 3.4 throughout), went for 1-71 from her 10.

In response, Megan Schutt (2-42) delivered the early breakthrough with the ball, her in-swing knocking over Danni Wyatt for four in the third over.

Schutt then found the pad of Tammy Beaumont to remove the fast-starting opener for 27, and leg-spinner Alana King (3-64) claimed the huge wicket of Heather Knight (26) in the same fashion, leaving England 3-86.

Amy Jones (20) was well caught by King off the bowling of Jess Jonassen (3-57), but Sciver remained the thorn in Australia's side, taking the blueprint of Healy's innings and applying it to her own game, passing fifty in 53 balls.

Sophia Dunkley settled in with Sciver and it took something special to snap their 50-run stand; King bowling the talented No.6 around her legs for 22, before she had a third when Brunt (1) was stumped by Healy.

Ecclestone (3) and Kate Cross (2) departed in quick succession, and as Sciver reached a superb century off 90 balls, she struggled to find anyone to stick with her.

Dean chipped in with 21, sharing a 65-run ninth-wicket partnership with England's No.4, but any last hopes of a late charge toward's Australia's total were dealt a near-fatal blow when she fell, and Shrubsole added just one before the safe hands of Gardner completed a dominant World Cup campaign.

ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2022

Australia squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Grace Harris, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Beth Mooney, Tahlia McGrath, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Amanda-Jade Wellington. Travelling reserves: Heather Graham, Georgia Redmayne

Australia's World Cup 2022 fixtures

Mar 5: Beat England by 12 runs

Mar 8: Beat Pakistan by seven wickets

Mar 13: Beat New Zealand by 141 runs

Mar 15: Beat West Indies by seven wickets

Mar 19: Beat India by six wickets

Mar 22: Beat South Africa by five wickets

Mar 25: Beat Bangladesh by five wickets

Semi-finals

Mar 30: Australia beat West Indies by 157 runs

Mar 31: England beat South Africa by 137 runs

Final

Apr 3: Australia beat England by 71 runs

All matches to be broadcast in Australia on Fox Cricket and Kayo Sports