After a point, things that happen time and again stop surprising us. It is like the inevitable is happening. For us cricket fans, it is Australia thrashing opposition teams and getting their hands on one silverware after another. We have become so immune to this spectacle that if anything contrary to this happens, that probably might make us sit up and take notice of the aberration.
On this day in 2013, the finals of the 2013 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup were held. Australia, yet again, reached the finals, their eighth appearance overall, made it a one-sided contest, and defeated West Indies by a mammoth margin of 114 runs.
#OnThisDay in 2013, Australia women beat West Indies women by 114 runs & won their 6th Women’s World Cup.
Australia – 259/7 in 50 overs
West Indies – 145/10 in 43.1 overs #Cricket | 📸- @GettyImages pic.twitter.com/HLYgq7G5nx— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) February 17, 2021
The mega event was hosted by India, their third time playing the hosts, and was played across two venues and five stadiums- Brabourne Stadium, Bandra Kurla Complex Ground, Middle Income Group Club Ground in Mumbai, and Barabati Stadium, DRIEMS Cricket Stadium in Cuttack.
So how did it all happen for the powerhouse Australia? To begin with, they were one of the four teams to have already qualified for the tournament. With them were England, India and New Zealand. The remaining four participants in the tournament- Sri Lanka, South Africa, Pakistan, and West Indies, had to play in the 2011 Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifiers in Bangladesh to qualify for the tournament.
Australia were the table-toppers in group B having won their group stage matches against New Zealand, South Africa, and Pakistan comprehensively. The top three teams of each group met again for the Super Six stage played in the round-robin format. The top two teams at the end of the Super Sixes- West Indies and Australia qualified for the finals.
On the big day, the captain of Australia, Jodie Fields won the toss and elected to bat. Jess Cameron scored a run a ball 75 to help Australia reach 259/7 at the end of their allotted 50 overs. Rachael Haynes (52) and Jodie Fields (36*) too had significant contributions with the bat.
In reply, West Indies women were bundled out for a paltry 145 in 43.1 overs with Ellyse Perry being the pick of the bowlers giving away only 19 runs in her 10 overs and picking up three wickets. For the West Indies, captain Merissa Aguilleira top scored with 23 runs to her name.
Jess Cameron was declared the Player of the Match while New Zealand batter Suzie Bates bagged the Player of the Series award for scoring the most runs in the series (407). Australian fast bowler Megan Schutt finished the tournament as the leading wicket-taker with 15 wickets to her name.
As of today, this was Australia’s last appearance in the ODI World Cup finals, but given their determination, play-to-win attitude, and tenacity, cricket fans will definitely get to see them in yet another final very soon.
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