Decoding Australia's dominant numbers in Women's ODI World Cups
What's the story
The Australian women's cricket team is gearing up for the ICC Women's World Cup 2025, with Alyssa Healy at the helm. The tournament kicks off on September 30 in India, and Australia will begin their campaign against New Zealand in Indore. Having won the title seven times, Australia remain the most successful team in this tournament's history. Here we decode their run in the tournament in stats.
Historic win
Australia's successful run in the competition
Australia's first World Cup title came in 1978, when India hosted the tournament for the first time. They won their second title in 1982 and dominated again in 1988, lifting their third World Cup trophy on the bounce. Their next title came in 1997. Australia's dominance continued into the 21st century as they won their fifth trophy in 2005. They reached the final again in 2013, and reclaimed the crown for the sixth time.
Recent triumph
Recent triumph in 2022
Australia's most recent and seventh World Cup title came in 2022 when they defeated England in the final. This means the Women in Yellow will head into the upcoming event as defending champions. Besides tasting the glory seven times, Australia have also been two-times runners-up (1973 and 2000). Hence, the Aussies have played the finals in nine of the past 12 WC editions. This includes a semi-final and a third-place finish as well.
DYK
Australia way above other teams
England (4) are the only other team with multiple Women's WC triumphs. New Zealand are the winners of the remaining edition. These numbers put Australia in a different league. The Aussies have overall won 79 of their 91 concluded WC matches, as per ESPNcricinfo. This includes a tied contest as well. England (62) and New Zealand (54) are the only other sides with at least 40 wins in Women's World Cups.
Batters
Who is Australia's highest run-getter?
With 1,151 runs at an average of 60.57, Belinda Clark is Australia's highest run-getter at the event. Karen Rolton (974 at 74.92) and Meg Lanning (948 at 52.66) are the other Aussies with 900-plus runs. As many as five Aussies boast multiple WC centuries - Lanning (3), Rolton (3), Ruth Buckstein (2), Lindsay Reeler (2), and Alyssa Healy (2). Belinda Clark happens to be the only batter with a double-ton in WODI WCs (229* vs Denmark, 1997).
Bowlers
Most wickets for Australia
With 39 scalps at 11.94, former Aussie spinner Lynette Fullston is the second-highest wicket-taker in WODI WCs. Among Australians, active pacer Megan Schutt trails Fullston with 34 wickets at 25.91. Tina Macpherson and Fullston (twice) are the Australians with fifers in the competition. Meanwhile, England's Anya Shrubsole is the only other bowler with multiple WODI WC five-wicket hauls.
Margins
Biggest wins and defeats
The top-two biggest WODI WC victories in terms of runs belong to Australia (363 runs vs Denmark, 1997 & 255 runs vs Netherlands, 1998). The side's biggest defeat by runs came in the 1973 edition, when they lost by 92 runs against hosts England. While the Aussies own seven 10-wicket wins in the competition, no other side boasts even three such victories. The team also owns a solitary 10-wicket defeat in WCs, against New Zealand in 1993.
Scores
Highest and lowest scores
The solitary 400-plus total in WODI WCs belong to Australia, having scored 412/3 against Denmark in the 1997 affair in Mumbai. Overall, the team has touched the 300-run mark four times in the competition. They have also been bowled out once under 100, recording 77/10 against New Zealand in the 1993 Beckenham match. Having accomplished the 278-run target against India in 2022, Australia also have the highest-successful chase in the competition.