Dominant Australia cruise to World Cup finals, beat West Indies by 157 runs

PTI, Mar 30, 2022, 3:20 PM IST

Wellington : Australia booked their place in the ICC Women’s World Cup final with a dominant 157-run victory over West Indies after Alyssa Healy’s belligerent century was complemented by the bowlers here on Wednesday.

Meg Lanning’s side were at their destructive best with the bat, with Healy making 129 and adding 216 for the first wicket with Haynes (85), to post a mammoth 305 for three from 45 overs in a rain-curtailed semifinal.

The West Indies never looked like getting close in their chase. Captain Stafanie Taylor was her side’s top-scorer with 48 in a total of 148, indicating the gulf in the class between the two semifinalists.

Play got underway one hour and 45 minutes late after thick mist and drizzle gave way to sunshine with the match shorn of 10 overs.

Put in to bat, Australia were undeterred by the West Indies’ fast bowlers running in on a green wicket in gloomy Basin Reverse, making 37 runs in the powerplay.

Healy took her time to get going, making just 10 from 25 balls through the first 10 overs but then picked up pace to bring up her fifty from 63 balls.

Her second fifty would come off just 28 balls as she recorded a maiden World Cup hundred.

Healy eventually departed for 129 from 107 balls, including 17 fours and one six, as the West Indies held on to their first catch of the day with substitute Shakera Selman, on for the injured Anisa Mohammed, diving in.

A mini fightback ensued as Chinelle Henry took two wickets in an over, with Haynes going first for 85 from 100 balls before Ashleigh Gardner’s promotion from seventh to third ended after 12 runs as the West Indies dragged Australia back to 235 for three. Lanning and Beth Mooney were there to steady the ship however, the two batters with the highest averages in the tournament, taking Australia past 300, the largest-ever score in a World Cup knockout game.

In reply, the West Indies made a steady start once again, led by Deandra Dottin but soon lost their first wicket as Rashada Williams went for a 10-ball duck, Mooney holding on to a stunning grab off the bowling of Megan Schutt.

Annabel Sutherland did what the Windies could not, safely holding on to a looping catch at long-on to dismiss Dottin for 34.

Hayley Matthews fell for the same score as Jess Jonassen took the first wicket from spin for the day with her fourth ball, Alana King holding on to a poorly-timed shot at mid-off. Matthews’s wicket did not spark the West Indies into life as they slipped to 91 for three in 22.4 overs. Taylor was joined by Shemaine Campbelle as the required run-rate climbed above 10 an over. Sutherland chipped in with a wicket as Campbelle sent a delivery straight to Jonassen to depart for eight.

Chedean Nation came out with intent cracking a six from her first ball but could add only more before being run out by Healy. Kycia Knight followed for a two-ball duck as Jonassen moved to 10 wickets for the tournament and reduced the West Indies to 126 for six. Gardner then looked to catch Jonassen up getting her ninth of the World Cup to dismiss Ramharack LBW a ball after she was dropped by Sutherland. Taylor eventually departed for 48 from 74, with four fours, and with it the West Indies innings and run in the tournament came to an end as the injured Mohammed and ill Henry did not take to the field.