| Dates | 1 – 13 January 1978 |
|---|---|
| Administrator(s) | International Women's Cricket Council |
| Cricket format | Women's One Day International (50-over) |
| Tournament format(s) | Round-robin |
| Host(s) |  India |
| Champions |  Australia (1st title) |
| Runners-up |  England |
| Participants | 4 |
| Matches | 6 |
| Most runs | Margaret Jennings (127) |
| Most wickets | Sharyn Hill (7) |
The 1978 Women's Cricket World Cup was an international cricket tournament played in India from 1 to 13 January 1978. Hosted by India for the first time, it was the second edition of the Women's Cricket World Cup, after the inaugural 1973 World Cup in England.
It was originally proposed that South Africa host the World Cup, but this was abandoned to conform with the Apartheid-era sporting boycott of the country. The Women's Cricket Association of India (WCAI) then made a successful bid, and served as the primary organiser, with the International Women's Cricket Council (IWCC) providing only limited oversight.[1] Along with India, which was making its debut, five other teams were originally invited – Australia, England, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and the West Indies. The Netherlands and the West Indies, which had both not previously participated, were forced to withdraw due to financial issues.[2][3] The four teams that did compete (the lowest number in the tournament's history) played a round-robin tournament of three matches each, with Australia going undefeated to claim its first title. Australia's captain, Margaret Jennings, led the tournament in runs, while her teammate, Sharyn Hill, led the tournament in wickets. Three of the five highest scorers as well as three of the five leading wicket-takers in the tournament were from Australia. Sharon Tredrea featured in both lists, being the second-highest wicket-taker and fourth-highest scorer of the tournament.[4][5]
- ^ Velija, Philippa (2015). Women's Cricket and Global Processes: The Emergence and Development of Women's Cricket as a Global Game. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 99. ISBN 9781137323538.
- ^ Abhishek Mukherjee (15 January 2014). "Australia Women lift 1978 World Cup — the tournament which was almost called off" – CricketCountry. Retrieved 30 August 2015.
- ^ "Quick, quick Snow". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
- ^ Women's World Cup 1977/78 (ordered by runs) – CricketArchive. Retrieved 30 August 2015.
- ^ Women's World Cup 1977/78 (ordered by wickets) – CricketArchive. Retrieved 30 August 2015.