Nat Sciver’s incredible century for England was ultimately not enough to successfully defend their Women’s Cricket World Cup final trophy on Sunday.
Australia claimed their seventh World Cup title after Alyssa Healy led an explosive batting performance with a stunning score of 175, leaving England a target of 357.
In reply, the 2017 championst continued to lose wickets as Sciver clawed their way towards a mammoth run chase by smashing 148 not-out off 121 balls.
However, they fell 71 runs short at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch after being bowled out in 43.4 overs.
After being put in to bat by England at the toss, Healy bludgeoned a furious 170, four days after smashing 129 in the semi-final against West Indies.
England’s start to the tournament was plagued by fielding errors, which proved costly during their group-stage defeat to South Africa, and improved as the competition went on, but these mistakes crept back into their final performance.
In the first innings, Healy and opening partner Rachael Haynes were both dropped in the same over, Haynes by Wyatt at backward point, and Healy by Sciver at midwicket off the bowling of Kate Cross.
Healy anchored 100-run partnerships with fellow opener Haynes (68) and number three Beth Mooney (62) before finally being stumped by Amy Jones off seamer Anya Shrubsole.
The wicketkeeper strolled off to a standing ovation at 316 for two, having again burnished her record as the ultimate big-game performer, two years after scoring a 39-ball 75 in the 2020 T20 World Cup final against India.
England started their mammoth chase positively, and scored faster than their opponents at the start of the innings, reaching 59 for two after 10 overs while Australia had been 37 without loss.
Sciver survived two reviews after being brought to the crease by the early loss of Danni Wyatt and the wicket of Tammy Beaumont, as she finished the tournament without being dismissed against the World Cup winners, having scored 257 runs against them in total.
The all-rounder alongside her captain looked to rebuild, before Knight was trapped lbw by Alana King to leave England 86 for three.
Amy Jones and Sophia Dunkley were the next two batters to partner Sciver, scoring 20 and 23 respectively, including a 50 partnership, but it was not enough to threaten Australia.
England's highest partnership came with Sciver alongside Charlie Dean at the back end of the innings, where they put on 65 for the ninth wicket, but it was too little too late.
The result leaves Australia as holders of the women's Ashes, T20 and 50-over World Cup titles.
