Australia wins third consecutive title ICC Women’s Championship The title was won by a landslide 75-run victory over Team New Zealand at the Wellington Basin Reserve. The victory marked the pinnacle of an outstanding season that no other team has surpassed, with Australia taking 39 points from 24 games.
India has two games left against the West Indies and three games against Ireland, and can only reach 37 points.
Opting to bat, Australia showcased their batting depth, Alyssa Healy Phoebe Litchfield provided a strong start with an 88-point opening performance. Annabel Sutherland contributed 42 runs off 43 balls while Ash Gardner scored 74 runs off 62 balls to push the visitors’ total to a stunning 290 points.
In reply, New Zealand seemed to be in control at 106/1 in the 20th over, but when Suzie Bates was dismissed for a boundary catch and Melie Kerr was dismissed At that time, the momentum changed dramatically. Despite a promising start, the hosts could not recover due to the dominance of the Australian bowlers. Annabel Sutherland took 3/39 and Alana King took an equally impressive 3/34 to help New Zealand bowl out the team for 215.
The win ensured the Australian team remained unbeaten in the race for the ICC Women’s Championship, having won the tournament in the previous two cycles (2014-2016 and 2017-2020). Their win not only reaffirms their dominance in women’s cricket but also secures their place at the 2025 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup.
For New Zealand, the defeat puts their promotion hopes in jeopardy. With 21 points from 24 games, they are sixth and the last to automatically qualify. Both Bangladesh, with three games remaining, and West Indies, with five games remaining, could overtake them, potentially relegating the White Ferns to the Cricket World Cup qualifiers.
Sri Lanka had reason to celebrate, however, as Australia’s victory ensured they would not be overtaken by two teams with games in hand, guaranteeing them automatic qualification.
