Records tumble as CWC22 comes to thrilling end

On a historic night at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, Australia thumped England by 71 runs to win the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup for the seventh time, the most by any team in history. Their previous six titles had come in 1978, 1982, 1988, 1997, 2005, 2013.

England, the four times champions, were runners up this time as they failed to defend the title. New Zealand are the only other nation to win the Women’s World Cup.

While it is Australia’s seventh silverware, it is fifth time (2022, 2005, 1997, 1982 and 1978) they have lifted the trophy staying undefeated throughout the tournament.

Australia have been utterly dominant in one-day internationals lately. Since the start of 2018, they have won 38 out of 39 matches with their only defeat coming against India in Mackay, Queensland last year.

In addition to seven World Cups, Australia have also won the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup on five occasions (2010, 2012, 2014, 2018 and 2020).

Australia wicketkeeper-batter Alyssa Healy played an innings for the ages and took apart numerous cricket records.

Her innings of 170 off 138 balls against England is the highest score in the final of any ICC Cricket World Cup (be it men’s or women’s).

As she scored a hundred, 129 against West Indies, in the semi-final too, she became the first cricketer in history to score a century in the semi-final and final of the same World Cup.

There was another high-profile innings in the game, albeit in a losing cause, from the bat of Nat Sciver who scored a fighting 148* – the third highest score in a World Cup Final and second highest in women’s events.

Before the 2022 decider, the only century in Women’s Cricket World Cup Finals was by Australia’s Karen Rolton (107*) against West Indies in Centurion in 2005.

Healy’s 170 is also the second highest score for Australia in Women’s ODIs after Belinda Clark’s historic 229 not out against Denmark in Mumbai in 1997.

New Zealand legend Debbie Hockley’s 25-year-old record for most runs in one edition of the Women’s World Cup was twice surpassed during the final.

First Rachael Haynes (497 runs) toppled Hockley’s tally of 456 runs and then Healy went past both Hockley and Haynes during the course of her 170-run innings.

Healy is the first player to better the 500-run mark in a single edition of Women’s World Cup. At the end of the group stage, she had only 210 runs. In the two innings in the semi-final and final, she amassed 299 runs.

England’s Katherine Brunt became only the tenth woman in history and third from England to feature in three World Cup Finals. Her previous two appearances came in 2017 and 2009.

Brunt was part of the England team that won the final against India at Lord’s in 2017 and New Zealand in Sydney in 2009. The two other English women to play three World Cup Finals are Janette Brittin and Carole Hodges.

The 2022 edition of the Women’s World Cup was full of thrillers. As many as 11 games had a close finish with South Africa, one of the four semi-finalists, prevailing on most occasions.

All four thrillers involving South Africa were decided in the final over. Their last group game, against India in Christchurch, was only the second chase in World Cup history that was completed on the last ball.

The final of the tournament witnessed 681 runs across two innings, the second highest match aggregate in the history of the Women’s World Cup. Australia scored 356 and England 285.

The only game that has seen more runs was the England versus South Africa match in Bristol in 2017 when 678 runs were produced.

England who had bowled 31 maiden overs in the tournament, the most by any team, failed to deliver an over without a run in the final. There was no maiden from Australia either making it the only complete 50 overs match in this World Cup without a maiden.

Before Australia’s 356 and England’s 285 in the final in Christchurch, the highest total in Women’s World Cup Final was 259 by Australia against West Indies in Mumbai (Brabourne) in 2013.

Surprisingly, Australia didn’t hit any six in their mammoth total of 356 – the second highest in ODIs without a maximum. The record is also by Australia – 412 against Denmark in 1997.

In the entire tournament, batters combined scored 11,754 runs, a new record for Women’s World Cups. The previous highest tally was 11,656 runs in the 2017 edition. Bowlers also had a good time taking 406 wickets, the most in a Women’s World Cup.

The final was Meg Lanning’s 100th ODI match. At this stage of her career, Lanning has scored 4463 runs, the most by anyone at the 100-match mark in Women’s ODIs.

Lanning is the seventh female cricketer from Australia to complete century of one-day internationals. The six before her were: Ellyse Perry, Alex Blackwell, Lisa Sthalekar, Karen Rolton, Cathryn Fitzpatrick and Belinda Clark.

The 100th appearance could have not been more memorable for Lanning as she led her country to their seventh World Cup title.