The Women's World Cup provided many memorable moments. Photo / Getty and Photosport
The Women's World Cup provided many memorable moments. Photo / Getty and Photosport
A look back on the highs and lows of the Women's Cricket World Cup.
The White Ferns
Ranked fifth in the world and having finished fifth at the last World Cup, New Zealand's inferior net run rate saw them slip a spot to sixth.
They lost to each of thefour semifinalists, and while the White Ferns might argue they were unlucky to drop three of those games in tight finishes, in truth they were lucky to get as close as they did. Perhaps the real misfortune was seeing any home advantage largely negated by Covid protocols.
A dejected Katey Martin at the end of the defeat to England at Eden Park. Photosport
Dramatic finishes
The last round-robin match typified some of the nailbiting finishes: The semifinal lineup was not confirmed until the final ball, with South Africa downing India to confirm the West Indies' place in the last four. There were many other close finishes, with the hosts sadly on the wrong side of the ledger in games against the West Indies, when they squandered a winning position in the final over, South Africa and England.
Ranking: A
Mignon Du Preez from South Africa reacts to scoring the winning runs against India. Photo / Getty
Star of the show
It could only be Alyssa Healy. It's one thing to lead the tournament in runscoring, but climbing to the top of that leaderboard with centuries in the semifinal and final will make Healy's celebrations even sweeter. The Australian opener became the only batter in cricket history to score tons in the semifinal and final of the same World Cup, earning player of the match in the showpiece after doing likewise at the T20 World Cup in 2020.
Alyssa Healy of Australia celebrates bringing up 150 in the Women's Cricket World Cup final. Photo / Getty
Best of the Kiwis
Sophie Devine was the only member of the White Ferns' top order to come close to her best. The skipper finished ninth in the runscoring stakes, notching 309 at an average of 44, and those figures could have been further enhanced had she not been stricken by injury while in good touch in her side's penultimate game. Devine hit 108 against the Windies and 93 against South Africa but, unfortunately, her dismissal in those defeats was decisive.
Ranking: B
Best bowler
England spinner Sophie Ecclestone finished with 21 scalps in the tournament, seven more than second place. Sure, the 22-year-old was lit up by Australia, recording a combined 1-148 across 20 overs, but the champions tended to do that. Focus instead on what Ecclestone did when England were playing for their lives - three wickets against New Zealand, Pakistan and Bangladesh, before a tournament-best 6-36 in the semifinal.
Ranking: B+
England's Heather Knight and Sophie Ecclestone celebrate the wicket of Lea Tahuhu during pool match at Eden Park. Photosport
Sublime and ridiculous in the field
There were some stunning catches throughout the World Cup. Deandra Dottin's diving effort to dismiss England's Lauren Winfield-Hill in pool play springs to mind, as does the Dan Vettori impression Ashleigh Gardner pulled off on the Basin Reserve boundary against South Africa. There were also a shocking number of absolute gimmes shelled. But hey, doesn't it make a game more exciting when a ball goes in the air and anything can happen?
Ranking: *shrugs*
Ashleigh Gardner took a stunning catch on the boundary during the pool match against South Africa. Photo /Getty
The organisation
Covid-19 has disrupted or derailed major sports events across the globe over the past two years. The World Cup organisers have juggled the pandemic palaver as well as could be hoped, after the tournament had been postponed by a year, and deserved better than the restrictions on crowd numbers. The show was well promoted, with neat ideas like childcare at the venues and activities to attract young families.
The decision to play the knockout fixtures at Hagley Oval in Christchurch and Wellington's Basin Reserve was rewarded with solid crowds and fine conditions. And thankfully, a tournament that stretched into April wasn't greatly affected by the weather. But a blustery, rainy day for the White Ferns against England in the soulless canyon of Eden Park confirmed the pariah status of the country's biggest venue for the summer code.
