Australia Women 259-7 (Cameron 75) beat
West Indies Women 145 by 114 runs
Women's World Cup final, Mumbai
Scorecard
Report by John Pennington
Once, twice, thrice, four times, five times and now six times Australia Women have been crowned world champions after clinching the 2013 World Cup tournament with their most dominant performance yet, hammering the West Indies by 114 runs in Mumbai.
They first scored more runs than had ever been managed in a World Cup final, hitting 259 for seven, and then outclassed the first-time finalists in the field, bowling them out for 145.
Rachael Haynes (52) and Jess Cameron (75) hit half-centuries as Australia made a flying start, were pegged back in the middle of their innings and then finished strongly, taking advantage throughout of a series of fielding blunders, fumbles and mistakes.
The West Indies appeared nervous. Tremayne Smartt's first three overs disappeared for 22 runs, but the ground fielding errors were constant even though they were sharp enough when the ball was in the air. Kyshona Knight took catches to remove Australia's top three.
Ellyse Perry put them on the backfoot with three quick wickets when they came to bat and despite some lusty blows from Deandra Dottin (22) and Merissa Aguilleira (23), they fell well short, and never seriously threatened a repeat of the shock win over Australia that qualified them for the final.
In Haynes, Meg Lanning and Cameron, Australia boast three of the best power hitters in the game, and on the biggest stage of all, they all struck top form, setting up the perfect platform. Lanning hit the day's first boundary, beautifully caressed through the covers and was looking set for more when she was caught at mid on, trying to repeat a lofted four that she had struck one ball earlier. She had made 31 in 41 balls with six fours.
Haynes and Cameron then added 63 for the second wicket, the left-right hand combination working well as the West Indian bowlers struggled to maintain any control over their lengths and lines - the excellent Shaquana Quintyne excepted - and the fielders continued to give away easy runs.
Off-spinner Quintyne (3-27) had Haynes caught by Knight as she spooned the ball to midwicket and Cameron looked destined to go on and reach a century, hitting eight fours and two sixes, when she too was caught by Knight with Shanel Daley the happy bowler. She had made 75 from 76 balls and her dismissal left the score on 181 for four and preceded a little wobble from the favourites.
Alex Blackwell made just three on the occasion of her 100th cap, Lisa Sthalekar fell for 12 and Sarah Coyte made seven before becoming Quintyne's third wicket and at 209 for seven, Australia's initial target of between 280 and 300 looked highly unlikely.
It took some resourceful batting from Perry (25 not out in 22 balls) and captain Jodie Fields (36 not out in 38 balls) to haul Australia out of danger, and the pair assessed the situation quite brilliantly, first taking enough time to assess the pace of the pitch, and then hitting out. Perry justified her recall at the expense of Holly Ferling with one thumping six and two more boundaries while Fields hit four fours.
Key for the West Indies if they were to stay in the game was to get a decent start and put Australia under some pressure but instead they crawled to just 32 runs in the first Power Play which ended with Perry trapping Kycia Knight in front for 10. Stafanie Taylor (5) followed soon after, Perry surprising her for pace and picking up the ball as it looped off West Indies' premier batter's leading edge.
Perry's triple was completed when Natasha McLean was trapped in front for 13. Kyshona Knight then limped off, as had Smartt during the Australia innings, leaving Aguilleira and Dottin with the task of getting their side back into the game. They gave it everything, Aguilleira hammering Coyte over midwicket and Dottin striking the ball just as powerfully but it couldn't last.
They were forced to simply block out Perry and try to attack the other bowlers, and it didn't work, Sthalekar (2-20) bowling both players as they attempted more huge shots.
Shemaine Campbelle (11) and Daley (2) fell to Megan Schutt and a brace from Erin Osborne to remove Quintyne for two and Anisa Mohammed for 14 set up the grand finale.
It was delivered by Julie Hunter and Sthalekar, the former bowling to Smartt and the latter diving full length to her right at midwicket to take a quite brilliant catch - Australia finishing off a masterful performance with a masterclass.
As well as being Australia's sixth overall success, it is their third in India - each time the tournament has been held there and it follows on from their success at the ICC World Twenty20 in 2012
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