Women’s World Cup: Australia starts with victory over England

On the day Australia’s greatest spinner died, a leg-spinner fittingly inspired her country to victory in their Women’s World Cup opener.

It is one of the saddest days in the sport’s history but an impressive century from Australian women’s batter Rachael Haynes and three-wicket Warnie inspired spin bowling haul in the World Cup opening round win against England has helped bring a bit of light to cricket fans.

A spectacular partnership between captain Meg Lanning and Haynes helped the Aussie women put down 310 runs, which despite making a gallant stand in the final 10 overs, England were just unable to chase it down in the final over.

Aussie leg spinner Alana King, who idolised the King of Spin, broke the game open taking three key wickets. Australia finished ahead by 12 runs.

The elation of victory followed a sombre start to the Aussie women’s World Cup campaign with the news of the shock death of legend Shane Warne reaching the players just hours before play was due to start.

Warne, 52, died of a suspected heart attack while on holiday in Thailand in the early hours of Saturday morning.

It followed the death of legendary wicketkeeper Rod Marsh, just a day earlier.

Flags were raised to half-mast at Seddon Park, New Zealand, as the Australian and English cricketers jogged onto the pitch, black tape wrapped around their arms.

Out on the pitch, after losing the toss and being left to bat first, Aussie captain Meg Lanning promised to do the cricket icons proud.

Alana King and Alyssa Healy celebrate a wicket against England.

“Losing Shane and Rod in the last couple of days has been very sad, our thoughts are with their family and friends, they were two icons of the game. It is a very sad time and hopefully we can do them proud today,” Lanning said.

And that she did.

The captain was called into the crease just before the ninth over after Alyssa Healy mis-hit the ball handing Katherine Brunt an easy catch.

Healy had just a few balls earlier been given a second chance after a LBW appeal was ruled not-out by the third umpire.

At 1-35 and batting on a tricky pitch, Lanning and vice captain Rachael Haynes had a lot of work to do to keep Australia in the game.

In true Aussie battler fashion the duo toughed it out on the pitch managing to keep the run rate steady at four an over.

By the 25th over, with nine wickets in hand, Lanning and Haynes started to find their rhythm and the boundary - steadily increasing the run rate to almost six and proving Australia was out to set the biggest total they could for the reigning champions.

A couple of dropped catches from England’s outfielders allowed Lanning and Haynes to knock the bowlers’ confidence slightly.

Alana King dives to try and stop a ball off her

Patience and determined running between the stumps helped Lanning and Haynes to their record partnership before the captain, on 86, hit a sitter into the safe hands of Tammy Beaumont.

With just eight overs left Ellyse Perry was bumped up the batting order just in time to watch Haynes play a classy single and notch up 100 runs.

The pair worked quickly together to keep the runs flowing notching up 52 runs from just 32 balls.

Haynes’ managed to put away 130 runs, beating her previous career best of 118, before being caught on the boundary in the penultimate over.

It was an impressive innings including one six and 14 fours.

Lanning described Hayne’s performance as her best yet.

“The control in which she batted today was impressive and she took risks at the right time,” she said at the innings break.

Beth Mooney and Perry found the gaps in the final over to set England a big run chase of 310.

England’s chase efforts didn’t get off to the best start after Annabel Sutherland, called into the Aussie squad to replace Ashleigh Gardner who was out with Covid-19, managed to just wrap her fingers around the ball while leaping forward, sending Lauren Winfred-Hill back to the bench for a duck.

After being dropped by Lanning on four, Beaumont dug deep to make the most of the power play and keep England’s hopes of a win alive, sitting at 1-53 at the end of the 10th over.

Beaumont, helped by partner Heather Knight, notched up 50 runs and 3000 career runs by the 17th over.

A clever ball from Tahlia McGrath gave Lanning a second chance at a catch, this time she made sure to hold onto it, sending Knight out for 40 off 51 balls and once again putting England under pressure.

It was Aussie leg spinner Alana King, who earlier today named Warnie her “idol and biggest inspiration”, took the all-important wicket of Beaumont, who was sitting on 74.

King celebrated the wicket by placing her hand over her black armband.

She didn’t stop there picking up the wicket of Amy Jones in the next over, putting England on the back foot.

Rachael Haynes set up Australia’s win with the bat.

Not to be outdone, McGrath also claimed a second wicket, knocking the bails off behind Danni Wyatt (7) - leaving England 5-177 with just shy of 20 overs remaining.

King struck again in the 42nd over, sending Sofia Dunkley packing for 28.

Young Aussie bowler Darcie Brown drops a crucial catch of Natalie Sciver, standing strong on 108 in the 49th over.

Lanning opts to bring in Jess Jonassen, the No.1 ODI bowler in world cricket for the all important final over - England needed 16 runs to take the win.

It proved the right decision with Jonassen performing an amazing one-handed catch at the bowler’s end off Katherine Brunt’s bat.

Natalie Sciver, caught out on the last ball of the game, proved the best of England’s batters, with a hard-fought 108 but it just wasn’t enough to help England taste revenge for the recent Ashes series loss.

The Aussies claimed victory by 12 runs.

Australia will next play Pakistan on March 8 from noon (AEDT).