Australia became favourites after an opening position of 160 between Alyssa Healy and Rachael Haynes. It was after England won the toss and asked Australia to bat first.
Healy staged a batting masterclass en route to achieving the all-time highest individual score in a one-day World Cup final, surpassing fellow Australian Adam Gilchrist’s 149 against Sri Lanka in 2007.
The wicketkeeper hit 170 of 138 deliveries, putting her team in a dominant position before they were finally knocked out, puzzled by Amy Jones against Anya Shrubsole. A couple of world class innings and Australia finished with 357 for 5.
England had a promising start to the chase but lost wickets at crucial moments. They were unable to retain their partnerships despite a valiant 148 from the all-rounder Natalie Sciver which included the game’s only six.
The 29-year-old had already scored a ton against Australia in their tournament opener, which England also lost. A victory for England in the final would have marked the first time they have won the tournament twice in a row in its history.
Australia Women vs England Women: World Cup Final Preview
Captain Heather Knight said before the final that “the stage was set” for her team to write a “remarkable story” and that the winning team would be the one who “handled the pressure”.
England went into the final having lost their last seven one-day internationals to Australia. Knight acknowledged the strength of the opposing side in the pre-final press conference.
“We’re going to have to bring our best cricket, but we’re not that far from Australia and we know we can beat them,” she said.
England reached the final after a tournament where they lost their first three games and were in danger of being eliminated. However, they won the next five games, including a crushing 137-run semi-final win over South Africa on Thursday.
Had England won the final, it would have been their second World Cup win in a row. In the 2017 final, they beat India at Lord’s. This year they faced Australia, a team that is at the pinnacle of its career in international cricket. It won’t be wrong to say that this Australian team is the best ever women’s team to play international cricket.