2022 Women's Cricket World Cup

2022 Women's Cricket World Cup
Dates4 March – 3 April 2022
Administrator(s)International Cricket Council
Cricket formatWomen's One Day International
Tournament format(s)Round-robin and Knockout
Host(s) New Zealand
Champions Australia (7th title)
Runners-up England
Participants8
Matches31
Player of the seriesAustralia Alyssa Healy
Most runsAustralia Alyssa Healy (509)
Most wicketsEngland Sophie Ecclestone (21)
Official websiteOfficial site
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The 2022 ICC Women's Cricket World Cup was the twelfth edition of the Women's Cricket World Cup, which was held in New Zealand in March and April 2022.[1][2] It was originally scheduled for 6 February to 7 March 2021 but was postponed by one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3][4] On 15 December 2021, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced that the tournament would start on 4 March 2022, with the final scheduled for 3 April 2022.[5]

New Zealand qualified automatically as hosts, with all other qualification places determined by the ICC ODI Rankings. Originally, it was announced that three more teams would qualify from the 2017–2020 ICC Women's Championship,[6] but in 2018 this was changed to four teams plus the hosts.[7] It was intended that the remaining three places would be determined through the 2021 Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier,[8] which was postponed from 2020.[9][10] However, the tournament was cancelled midway through and the remaining places allocated based on ODI rankings.[11]

Australia were the first team to qualify for the semi-finals after they won their first five matches of the tournament.[12] South Africa became the second team to reach the semi-finals, winning four out of their first six group matches, and gaining a point for a no result against the West Indies.[13] The remaining two semi-final places were decided by the results of the final two matches in the group stage of the tournament. In the first match, England beat Bangladesh by 100 runs to secure their place in the knockout phase.[14] In the last match of the group stage, South Africa beat India by three wickets.[15] The result meant that India were eliminated, with the West Indies taking the final spot in the semi-finals.[16]

Ahead of the first semi-final match, both teams were without key players in their squads. Australia's Ellyse Perry was ruled out of the match after suffering from back spasms, which had also forced her to miss Australia's last group match, against Bangladesh.[17] For the West Indies, their leg spin bowler Afy Fletcher missed the match after testing positive for COVID-19.[18] Australia won the match by 157 runs, with Alyssa Healy and Rachael Haynes scoring 216 runs for the first wicket, including a century from Healy.[19] It was the seventh time that Australia had reached the final of the Women's Cricket World Cup.[20] In the second semi-final, England beat South Africa by 137 runs,[21] reaching their sixth World Cup final.[22] Danni Wyatt scored a century and Sophie Ecclestone took a five-wicket haul to help the defending champions to reach the final.[23]

In the final of the tournament, Australia beat England by 71 runs to win their seventh World Cup.[24] Australia's Alyssa Healy scored 170 runs in the match,[25] the highest individual score made by any cricketer, male or female, in the World Cup Final.[26][27] England's Nat Sciver also scored a century in the final, finishing with 148 not out.[28] Alyssa Healy was the leading run-scorer in the competition, with 509, and was named the Player of the Tournament.[29] England's Sophie Ecclestone was the leading wicket-taker in the tournament, with 21 dismissals.[30]

  1. ^ "ICC Women's World Cup 2021 attracts star line-up". New Zealand Cricket. Archived from the original on 18 June 2019. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  2. ^ "Host cities for ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2021 revealed". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  3. ^ "India retains T20 World Cup in 2021, Australia to host in 2022". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  4. ^ "Venue for postponed 2020 ICC Men's T20 World Cup confirmed". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  5. ^ "Full match schedule for ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2022 announced". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  6. ^ "England move to third position after 2–1 series win over New Zealand". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 14 July 2018.
  7. ^ "New qualification pathway for ICC Men's Cricket World Cup approved". International Cricket Council. 20 October 2018. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  8. ^ "Thailand plays host as the road to the Women's T20 and 50-over World Cups begins". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  9. ^ "ICC Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier postponed". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  10. ^ "Women's Cricket World Cup postponed until 2022". BBC Sport. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  11. ^ "ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier called off; Bangladesh, Pakistan, West Indies to qualify for New Zealand 2022". Women's CricZone. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  12. ^ "Magnificent Meg stars in a thriller as Australia become first side to qualify for knock outs". Women's CricZone. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  13. ^ "White Ferns' semifinal dreams all but over at Women's Cricket World Cup". Stuff. 24 March 2022. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  14. ^ "Women's World Cup: England beat Bangladesh to set up South Africa semi-final". BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
  15. ^ "Women's Cricket World Cup: South Africa beat India by three wickets to set up England semi-final clash". Sky Sports. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
  16. ^ "South Africa win thriller after last over drama as India get knocked out". Women's CricZone. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
  17. ^ "Ellyse Perry ruled out of World Cup 2022 semis with back spasms". Women's CricZone. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  18. ^ "Afy Fletcher ruled out of semis due to Covid-19; Mandy Mangru approved as replacement". Women's CricZone. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  19. ^ "Women's World Cup: Australia dismantle West Indies in semi-final". BBC Sport. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  20. ^ "Healy 129, Haynes 85 power Australia to seventh final". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  21. ^ "England ease into World Cup final against Australia after thumping South Africa in semi-finals". Sky Sports. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  22. ^ "Wyatt and Ecclestone take England to yet another World Cup final". Women's CricZone. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  23. ^ "Danni Wyatt ton, Sophie Ecclestone's six help England set finals date with Australia". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  24. ^ "Healy show helps Australia clinch seventh World Cup title as Sciver wages a lone battle". Women's CricZone. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  25. ^ "Healy smashes record books in unbelievable knock". Cricket Australia. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  26. ^ "Healy re-writes record books with massive CWC22 century". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  27. ^ "Stats - Alyssa Healy and Australia smash World Cup records". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  28. ^ "Australia lift seventh World Cup with Healy's monumental 170". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  29. ^ "Australia's Alyssa Healy named CWC22 Player of the Tournament". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  30. ^ "Women's World Cup final: Australia outclass England to take title". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 April 2022.