22 not out: Australia make history with record breaking winning streak
The 29th of October, 2017 – that is the last time Australia tasted defeat in a women’s ODI.
Since that loss, the Aussies have won 22 consecutive ODIs.
If that sounds like a lot, that’s because it is. Their 22-match winning streak is the longest in men’s or women’s ODI history.
On Sunday, they eclipsed the 18-year-old record set by Ricky Ponting’s legendary team 2003, beating New Zealand by six wickets.
Following the milestone moment, we look back on the star performers in Australia’s winning streak so far and their road to history.
STAR PERFORMERS
The constants
The first of Australia’s 22 victories came on 12 March 2018 against India in Vadodara.
From the XI that played in that match, four would go on to feature in every game of the streak so far.
Chief among them is Alyssa Healy, who has been Australia’s highest run-scorer across the 22 games. She scored a quickfire 38 off 29 in that match, and since 12 March 2018 has compiled 1197 runs at 57, with three centuries.
Beth Mooney, an unused batter at No.5 that match, has made 550 runs at 45.83, with three fifties. She is among five batters who have made more than 500 runs for Australia in the streak, with Rachael Haynes (862 runs at 41.40, one century) the third among the constants in that group.
The fourth constant in the XI through the 22 matches is all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner. While she isn’t among those in the 500-run group, she has been devastating with bat and ball. With the willow she has had a strike rate of 124.64 to go alongside a healthy average of 29.08 considering the way she plays. With the ball, she has taken 26 wickets at 20.61 – the third most of any Australian in this period.
Best with the bat
Second to Healy among Australia’s run-scorers in the winning streak is captain Meg Lanning, who has amassed 862 runs at 53.87 across 20 matches. In that time, she has made three centuries, equalling Healy, and four half-centuries.
Lanning is tied with Haynes on the run-scoring list, with Ellyse Perry the fourth most productive at the crease. Perry has scored 666 runs at 66.50, with two centuries and four fifties across 19 matches.
Mooney rounds out the top five.
Best with the ball
Once the secret sauce in the Australian attack, left-arm finger-spinner Jess Jonassen is now front and centre with the ball. She is currently the world’sNo.1 ODI bowler on the ICC rankings and has not been lower than second since March 2018.
A vital part of the winning streak, Jonassen has taken 39 wickets at 13.51 since that opening win over India in 2018 – a game where she took 4/30.
Second to Jonassen on the wicket takers’ list is Megan Schutt (34 at 18.20), just ahead of Perry (26 at 18.80).
Gardner (26 at 20.61) and Georgia Wareham (20 at 30.20) round out the top five.
THE STREAK
12 March 2018 – Eight-wicket win over India in Vadodara
Australia began the winning streak in style in Vadodara in India’s east. They dealt the hosts an eight-wicket defeat after Jonassen ran riot with the ball, taking 4/30 from her 10 overs to help bowl India out for 200. Nicole Bolton stepped up with a Player of the Match performance to lead the chase, scoring an unbeaten 100 off 101 deliveries.
15 March 2018 – 60-run win over India in Vadodara
Bolton was again at the heart of Australia’s victory in the second ODI of the three-match series, scoring a quickfire 84 to set up a total of 287/9 as Ellyse Perry (70*) and Beth Mooney (56) both scored half-centuries. Jonassen was again Australia’s most dangerous bowler, taking 3/51 in what turned out to be the closest match of the series.
18 March 2018 – 97-run win over India in Vadodara
Australia rounded out a 3-0 clean sweep with a comfortable win in the third match. Bolton took a backseat this time around as Alyssa Healy scored the first century of her ODI career, blasting a 115-ball 133 to power Australia to a total of 332/7. An all-round effort from Australia’s attack ensured India were always unlikely to chase that down.
18 October 2018 – Five-wicket win over Pakistan in Kuala Lumpur
Seven months later, Australia found themselves in Asia again, this time taking on Pakistan. They made quick work of their opponents in the series opener as Megan Schutt’s 3/17 helped them bowl their opposition out for 95.
20 October 2018 – 150-run win over Pakistan in Kuala Lumpur
Captain Meg Lanning led the charge in game two, plundering a 106-ball 124 that featured 19 boundaries. Alongside a half-century from Rachael Haynes (79), that helped Australia to a total of 273/7. A four-for from Sophie Molineux (4/14) wrapped up the victory from there.
22 October 2018 – 89-run win over Pakistan in Kuala Lumpur
It was the Ashleigh Gardner show in the third match of the series. After a thrilling 75-ball-97 from Healy set up the innings, Gardner went to work, blasting 62 runs off 37 balls, hitting six fours and three sixes in her unbeaten stay. She then took 3/44 with the ball to secure Player of the Match honours.
22 February 2019 – Five-run win over New Zealand in Perth
Taking on New Zealand at home, Australia were put through the wringer in what is currently the tightest victory of their winning streak in terms of runs. Bowled out for 241 after being sent out to bat, the Australians were made to fight for the win. White Ferns captain Amy Satterthwaite led the charge with a classy 92, with her 99-run stand with Katie Perkins putting the tourists on course for victory. In the end, it was Jonassen (4/43) who came up trumps for Australia, removing both batters as the hosts clung on for victory.
24 February 2019 – 95-run win over New Zealand in Adelaide
Two days later New Zealand were left to rue that missed opportunity as Australia stepped things up to seal the series. Perry starred with bat and ball, scoring a quickfire 107 not out before taking 1/15 with the ball. The irrepressible Jonassen cut a swathe through the White Ferns’ batting order, taking 5/27.
3 March 2019 – Seven-wicket win over New Zealand in Melbourne
An all-round effort saw Australia home in the final match of the series. A three-wicket haul from Gardner (3/49) helped keep New Zealand to 231/8 before an unbeaten half-century from Perry (54*) and 40s from Haynes (46), Healy (46) and Lanning (48) made sure of the chase.
2 July 2019 – Two-wicket win over England in Leicester
Australia scraped home in the opening match of the 2019 Ashes, registering their tightest victory of the streak in terms of wickets to spare. Spearheaded by Perry (3/43), the Australians bowled England out for 177. That proved a more difficult chase than first appeared. While Healy’s 66 off 71 ensured they were always on course, it was left to Australia’s No. 9 and 10 to score the last 11 runs in the chase.
4 July 2019 – Four-wicket win over England in Leicester
It was almost as close in the second match, where Delissa Kimmince took 5/26 to help restrict England to 217 despite a century from Tammy Beaumont. The Australians got off to a rocky start with the bat, before Perry’s 62 and contributions from Mooney (43*) and Jonassen (31*) got the job done.
7 July 2019 – 194-run win over England in Canterbury
After two tight matches to start the tour, Australia let loose in game three, dealing England the second-biggest ODI defeat in contests between the two teams in terms of runs. Perry was the star of the day, taking 7/22 to bowl England out for 75.
5 September 2019 – 178-run win over West Indies in Antigua
By this point Australia were clearly on a roll but the 194-run win over England signalled that things were going up a gear. The West Indies found that out the hard way as Australia dealt them a brutal hammering in the first match of a three-game series. Centuries from Healy (122) and Lanning (121) took Australia to 308/4 before the attack bowled the West Indies out for 130.
8 September 2019 – 151-run win over West Indies in Antigua
Captain Lanning was a late scratching from the second match with back spasms, with Haynes leading in her absence. The loss of Lanning was not enough to derail Australia, with Perry stepping up at No.3, scoring an unbeaten century as Healy (58), Mooney (56) and Gardner (57*) all notched fifties in a total of 308/2. While it was a comfortable victory for Australia, it was an eventful day in Antigua. Lanning was only ruled out at the last minute, leading to an impromptu debut for Erin Burns. Mooney’s 56 was brought to an untimely end as she was forced to retire hurt by heat exhaustion. Her exit paved the way for Gardner to equal Lanning’s record for the fastest fifty by an Australian woman in ODI cricket, hitting three sixes and six fours in a 23-ball half-century.
11 September 2019 – Eight-wicket win over West Indies in Antigua
There was some respite for the West Indies attack as the hosts batted first in the series finale. Not that their fortunes improved as they were bowled out for 180 with Schutt making history as the first Australian to take an ODI hat-trick in women’s cricket. Schutt, already the only Australian bowler with a women’s T20I hat-trick, took all three wickets on this occasion in the final over. Half-centuries from Healy (61) and the returning Lanning (58*) finished things from there.
5 October 2019 – 157-run win over Sri Lanka in Brisbane
Back home in a busy year of ODI cricket, the Australian train showed no signs of slowing down as they dominated Sri Lanka in Brisbane. Fifties from Lanning (73), Haynes (56) and Mooney (66) helped Australia to a strong first-innings total of 281/8 before the attack wiped Sri Lanka out for 124.
7 October 2019 – 110-run win over Sri Lanka in Brisbane
Haynes took centre stage in the second match of the series, hitting 118 to take Australia to 282/8. That proved more than enough as a four-wicket hall from Jonassen (4/31) derailed Sri Lanka’s chase. The four-for took Jonassen past 100 ODI wickets and the victory was Australia’s 17th in a row, equalling the record for most consecutive women’s ODI wins set by Belinda Clark’s team in 1997.
9 October 2019 – Nine-wicket win over Sri Lanka in Brisbane
In the final match of the series, Australia claimed the record for their own and did so in style. Bowling first, they held Sri Lanka to 195/8 despite a brilliant century from Chamari Athapaththu (103). Healy answered with a ton of her own, belting 112 off 76 as Australia won by nine wickets with 139 balls to spare. It is the most convincing victory they have enjoyed on this winning run both in terms of wickets and balls remaining.
3 October 2020 – Seven-wicket win over New Zealand in Brisbane
Nearly a full year after last playing ODI cricket, Australia resumed their winning streak by beating New Zealand by seven wickets. With Georgia Wareham taking 2/23 from her full allotment, the White Ferns were restricted to just 180 as they were bowled out in the 50th over. A half-century from Lanning (62*) got the chase done with a minimum of fuss.
5 October 2020 – Four-wicket win over New Zealand in Brisbane
In the second match of the series, the Australians were pushed as far as they had been since the early stages of the 2019 Ashes. Yet it was still a relatively comfortable victory. Four wickets from Jonassen (4/36) held New Zealand to 252/9 before Lanning scored an unbeaten 101 to guide Australia to victory, enjoying a 117-run stand with Haynes (82) along the way. The victory saw Australia become just the second team in ODI history to win 20 consecutive matches.
7 October 2020 – 232-run win over New Zealand in Brisbane
Australia did not have the services of Lanning for the final match of the series, with the star captain ruled out with a tight hamstring. Despite her absence, and Perry’s, Australia put on a clinic to draw level with Ponting’s 2003 team for the most consecutive ODI wins. Batting first they powered their way to a total of 325/5 as Healy (87) and Haynes (96) both scored big fifties before Gardner belted 34 off 20, Mooney 29 not out from 19 and Tahlia McGrath 29 not out off 11. Six bowlers then shared the wickets as Australia rolled New Zealand for 93.
4 April 2021 - Six-wicket win over New Zealand in Mount Maunganui
Across the Tasman, Australia claimed sole ownership of the record, cruising to victory in the series opener of the Rose Bowl. After electing to bowl first, Australia knocked New Zealand over for 212, with Schutt taking 4/32 including a wicket with her first ball of the match. Healy (65) provided the Australians with a strong platform to start the chase before Perry (56*) and Gardner (53*) provided the finishing touches. Fittingly, the winning runs to claim the record were hit in style as Gardner hit a six over midwicket to seal the victory.