Australia v England: Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022 final – live! | Sport

40th over: Australia 236-1 (Alyssa Healy 125, Beth Mooney 30)

Cross bowls this one for England and Healy and Mooney just keep pushing on and rotating the strike. They’re looking supremely confident and Healy is offering up her stumps almost every ball. Eventually they find a sliver of an opportunity through a stumping – it’s great keeping from Amy Jones, but Healy has managed to get her foot back in time and they can’t say goodbye to her just yet. It’s a good over from Cross, all things considered.

39th over: Australia 233-1 (Alyssa Healy 123, Beth Mooney 29)

While it’s true things aren’t looking great for England, let’s offer up a bit of optimism for our English friends who may just be waking up. There’s a chance this could just be a very good batting wicket and Australia might have just as many struggles to restrict and take wickets once they come on to bowl. Brunt struggles with her line early in this over and has trouble getting control back. She desperately wants that breakthrough, but the run rate keeps marching forwards and Brunt isn’t having her best day out.

38th over: Australia 221-1 (Alyssa Healy 117, Beth Mooney 24)

Cross thinks Christmas has come early first ball as Healy backs away and shows off all three of her stumps, but the ball flies past them. Next ball Healy scoops one brilliantly past fine leg for four and her footwork is sensational today. Cross isn’t bowling badly, but it will take an excellent ball to stop Healy in this kind of form. We get a stumping appeal against Mooney on the final ball of the over and the umpires take a look at it, but Mooney’s foot remains grounded in the crease and England can’t get that lucky.

37th over: Australia 216-1 (Alyssa Healy 112, Beth Mooney 24)

In all the excitement of the previous over, Australia also brought up their 200, an omnious sign with 14 overs left. This over they bring up their half century partnership in what feels like the blink of an eye. A couple of singles to start this Shrubsole over and then an aggressive pull shot from Mooney thatsignifies her intent as well. She follows that up with an elegant cut for four and the Australian juggernaut keeps on pushing forward.

36th over: Australia 208-1 (Alyssa Healy 111, Beth Mooney 17)

Cross comes back into the attack and Healy shows her intent early with an aggressive pull shot. She only gets two runs from it, but it’s clear that now she’s passed her 100 milestone, she’s going to have some fun with this and go as hard as she can. Which (in case this is your first encounter with Alyssa Healy) is extremely hard. Next ball she drives one past deep extra cover for four before getting off strike and giving Mooney a look in. Mooney attempts a little paddle, but doesn’t time it quite right and backtracks down a more traditional route next ball for an easy single. Healy finishes the over by lofting a ball over mid off for another effortless looking boundary.

35th over: Australia 196-1 (Alyssa Healy 100, Beth Mooney 16)

Healy takes strike on 99 with Shrubsole coming back into the attack and she defends the first ball back, she’s not in a hurry here. On the next ball she sees her chance and calls with the loudest “YES” I’ve heard and brings up back-to-back centuries in these two finals matches. She heads straight to Beth Mooney for a hug before celebrating for the crowd and raising her bat. These two have spent a lot of time batting together and it’s a lovely little celebratory moment for them. Despite the fact that it’s an away crowd, the fans are genuinely excited to witness this moment and they’re on their feet in appreciation of what they’ve seen today.

34th over: Australia 187-1 (Alyssa Healy 99, Beth Mooney 12)

The run rate is sneaking up towards six an over, with both of these batters striking at over 100. Healy again is happy to take a single and can’t be tempted into going big to hasten her century. Ecclestone still looks to be the best of the English bowlers and slows the runs down, but it won’t worry Australia.

33rd over: Australia 185-1 (Alyssa Healy 98, Beth Mooney 12)

Healy starts the over on strike to Sciver’s bowling and she’s looking very relaxed close to her century. She doesn’t seem like she wants to do it in one hit and is happy to share the strike with Mooney. The Australian team is looking extremely relaxed on the sidelines – as well they might! Mooney goes unconventionally to Sciver’s bumper and plays a little jumping cut shot over her head for four.

32nd over: Australia 175-1 (Alyssa Healy 96, Beth Mooney 5)

Healy moves ever closer to her century, going at an excellent strike rate of over 100 as well. Ecclestone looks to emulate her previous effort and take another wicket, but she’s not troubling Mooney or Healy too much just yet.

31st over: Australia 170-1 (Alyssa Healy 93, Beth Mooney 3)

Sciver returns and Mooney immediately drives it to deep cover for a single and keeps the strike rotating. Sending Mooney in has allowed Australia to keep up the left-right combination and every time the strike rotates, they’re asking a new question of the England bowlers and fielders. Healy plays a beautiful straight drive late in the over and Brunt sprints across to field it, gets there in time, but the ball bounces off her hand and finds the rope anyway. Brunt takes some time to get up after landing heavily on her shoulder and the umpires take drinks with a ball remaining in the over while Brunt composes herself. The final ball is eventually bowled and Healy takes a quick single from it.

30th over: Australia 162-1 (Alyssa Healy 87, Beth Mooney 1)

Here comes Ecclestone again – she has looked the best of the English bowlers and she proves me right immediately but taking Haynes’s wicket from the first ball of the over. Lanning decides to give herself a bit of a rest and sends Mooney in instead – a well-deserved opportunity after her brilliant tournament so far. Healy gets Mooney on strike and she gets off the mark immediately and they don’t look like losing a wicket is going to slow their momentum too much.

Finally England get their breakthrough! Ecclestone catches the edge of Haynes’s bat as she looks to go big and it’s a comfortable catch for Tammy Beaumont inside the circle at point.

29th over: Australia 160-0 (Alyssa Healy 86, Rachael Haynes 68)

Ed Mackereth on email is feeling for England, but holding on to a touch of hope:

“It must be brutal to have to bowl against Healy and Haynes in this form. England are going to need to have a great day with the bat to make a contest of this. Fingers crossed.”

He’s wondering if the 400 might be on for Australia and I think in this form, you probably can’t count that out. Sciver picks up where Brunt left off with a more economical over, but there are still plenty of singles in it. If not wickets, England need more dot balls at least, but they can’t find them and Healy pulls one cleanly off the last ball for four to rub salt into England’s many wounds.

28th over: Australia 152-0 (Alyssa Healy 80, Rachael Haynes 66)

Some more Brunt and Australia brings up the 150 partnership immediately. It’s a good bounceback from Brunt, but she can’t find that wicket ball. Restricting Australia to a few singles in an over isn’t going to cut it at this point.

27th over: Australia 149-0 (Alyssa Healy 78, Rachael Haynes 65)

What can England do here? The game looks to be rapidly slipping from their grasp. With an Australian team that bats so deep, taking early wickets is essential to get into the batters who haven’t had has much time in the middle. Healy has taken her strike rate up over 100 after a slow start and Haynes is playing her role to perfection. Dean is struggling, but there aren’t too many answers elsewhere either.

26th over: Australia 142-0 (Alyssa Healy 73, Rachael Haynes 63)

Brunt comes around the wicket to Haynes and the singles are still easy pickings for the Australians. After a couple of those, Healy times one beautifully off her hip and sends it down past fine leg to the boundary. She rotates the strike and Haynes takes her own opportunity to go fine for a boundary. Brunt looks frustrated, it’s been a rough over for her.

25th over: Australia 131-0 (Alyssa Healy 67, Rachael Haynes 58)

At the halfway point now and the Australians are in cruise control. Dean comes back into the attack and looks for a more economical over than she’s offered up so far. She starts well enough, but Healy pounces on the third ball to send a ball flying over Ecclestone’s head to the boundary. Katey Martin in commentary isn’t happy with Dean’s change of hairstyle for this match – she thinks Dean should be more superstitious in keeping things the same while they’re working. At this rate, Martin would be very well accepted in Netball Twitter, where changes in trademark hairstyles are a big talking point. Not a great over from Dean again, so maybe Martin has a point?

24th over: Australia 120-0 (Alyssa Healy 58, Rachael Haynes 57)

Brunt comes back into the attack and Amy Jones comes up to the stumps to attempt to cramp the batters up a little and stop them dancing down the wicket to the ball so often. It’s working in part, but there’s just nothing to faze these two at the moment and they’re happy to take the singles while they’re on offer, they see no need to take unnecessary risks.

23rd over: Australia 115-0 (Alyssa Healy 56, Rachael Haynes 54)

Cross’s frustration is starting to show after her fielders dropped two catches off her bowling last over and her first ball is too short and allows Healy to bring up her 50 with a nicely pulled shot for four. The next ball is better and finds Healy’s edge, but everything is falling Australia’s way at the moment and that one heads to the boundary as well. Cross comes around the wicket to Haynes when she gets on strike and the line looks better, but still not dangerous enough to trouble these openers. This is not the economical Cross we’re used to.

22nd over: Australia 105-0 (Alyssa Healy 47, Rachael Haynes 53)

Ecclestone has a big appeal early in this over, but with only one review remaining they decide not to challenge the umpire’s decision. Australia bring up their 100 and it’s all looking too easy for them at the moment as the run rate creeps up towards five. England are fielding well on the boundary, but they need more than that right now.

21st over: Australia 98-0 (Alyssa Healy 43, Rachael Haynes 50)

Cross finally gets a genuine chance with a Haynes edge, but Danni Wyatt puts it down, which you absolutely cannot do against Haynes ever, but especially in a World Cup final after this start. The disappointment on Cross’s face tells the story and she offers them another chance, but this time it’s Sciver that drops the catch. Haynes brings up her half century and it’s not a happy time for England.

20th over: Australia 92-0 (Alyssa Healy 40, Rachael Haynes 47)

If this was a T20, England would be patting themselves on the back for a great bowling performance to restrict Australia to a small total. But alas, this an ODI and it’s a simply a platform for the Australians to spring from later in the game. Ecclestone and Cross are doing a better job at stemming the flow of runs, but it’s wickets that are desperately needed here and they’re not looking like picking them up right now.

19th over: Australia 86-0 (Alyssa Healy 38, Rachael Haynes 43)

Cross bowls her first ball a touch too short and Haynes pulls it away nicely, but the field keeps it to a single. Healy keeps things very calm. They know they may not get boundary balls from Cross, but they’re also not letting her build dot ball pressure and keeping the game on their terms. This is now the highest opening partnership in a World Cup final and England will need to break it very soon if they want to have a shot at winning this.

18th over: Australia 81-0 (Alyssa Healy 36, Rachael Haynes 41)

We take a little drinks break and England have used six bowlers so far, which is just about all their options, so it would be nice to see a little bit of Knight bowling at some point! Ecclestone continues and she gets Healy playing in the air, but unfortunately for her, it’s a very controlled shot and she lofts it over the field into a gap and it bounces over the boundary for four.

17th over: Australia 76-0 (Alyssa Healy 32, Rachael Haynes 40)

Kate Cross gets her first shot at these two batters – she has incredibly consistent this tournament and has had impeccable line and length. She will want to take wickets, but at the very least she should manage to build a bit more pressure and encourage the batters to take some risks at the other end. It’s a difficult time for her to come in though, Healy and Haynes are so settled and comfortable and they are rotating the strike easily. Their footwork is very good and they’re moving to the ball so well – they will be very hard to stop. Cross isn’t throwing out loose balls, but she’s not making them panic either.

16th over: Australia 70-0 (Alyssa Healy 30, Rachael Haynes 37)

Our woman of the moment has arrived – Sophie Ecclestone comes on for her first over of the day. She was sensational against South Africa in the semi final and she’ll want to take wickets here. There’s an appeal for LBW in the middle of the over and Knight decides they can review this one. Unfortunately for them, Healy got an inside edge before it hit her pad and England lose their review. It’s a decent over from Ecclestone, just the two from it.

15th over: Australia 68-0 (Alyssa Healy 29, Rachael Haynes 36)

Safe to say that this wouldn’t have been the start England were aiming for. You don’t ever want to let the Australian openers get to this point and they just haven’t had the answers to stop them going about their business very confidently. Sciver does a better job this over, dragging the momentum back after letting two runs go from the first ball, but more pressure is needed.

14th over: Australia 63-0 (Alyssa Healy 26, Rachael Haynes 34)

So far we’ve had two Mitchell Starc sightings on screen – let’s keep track of how many we get during the match. Hopefully we get just as many of Alyssa Healy next time she’s in the stands watching him play. Dean misses her line in the middle of the over and again Haynes pounces and cuts it late for four. Dean hasn’t had the effect England were hoping for as yet and Haynes finds another she likes on the last ball of the over with a drive to the boundary this time.

13th over: Australia 54-0 (Alyssa Healy 25, Rachael Haynes 26)

Australia have dragged the run rate up above four an over now and it’s an excellent platform for them to launch from. They bring up the 50 partnership from the first ball of the Sciver over. It’s an economical start to the over from England, but Australia are finding these singles a little too easily and England need to build more pressure.

12th over: Australia 49-0 (Alyssa Healy 22, Rachael Haynes 24)

We get our first look at Charlie Dean for today as England look to take some pace out of the game and make Healy and Haynes work a little harder for their runs and maybe take a few risks. Dean is an attacking off spinner and she will look to take wickets here. Healy doesn’t take long to find a ball she likes the look of, coming down the pitch and drives one past long on for four.

11th over: Australia 42-0 (Alyssa Healy 16, Rachael Haynes 23)

Sciver continues and Healy takes a risky run from her off the second ball – a better throw would have easily removed Haynes at the keeper’s end. Haynes celebrates surviving that run out attempt by eagerly latching on to a short ball and pulling it away for four.

10th over: Australia 37-0 (Alyssa Healy 15, Rachael Haynes 19)

Shrubsole keeps her spot at the City end and Healy plays out a couple of dots before she plays a beautiful straight drive straight past the bowler for four. Healy is looking very confident now and clips the next ball away for a single to give Haynes the strike. Haynes is comfortable playing out the over and Australia gets through the powerplay unscathed.

9th over: Australia 32-0 (Alyssa Healy 10, Rachael Haynes 19)

Brunt has been replaced by Sciver at the Port Hills end and Healy is quite happy with the change once she gets on strike and starts to make her mark on the game with a confident boundary.

8th over: Australia 26-0 (Alyssa Healy 5, Rachael Haynes 18)

Shrubsole starts the over well, hurrying Haynes up and the fielders keeping the pressure on with plenty of urgency to back her up and prevent the quick singles. Haynes doesn’t seem too troubled by it, her strong over against Brunt gives her plenty of breathing room and eventually a nice straight drive gives her the opportunity to get off strike.

7th over: Australia 25-0 (Alyssa Healy 5, Rachael Haynes 17)

Haynes finally gets the ball she was looking for – Brunt bangs one in a bit shot and Haynes pulls it away to the boundary for four. A length ball is defended away before Brunt gives away another one that’s a bit too short and Haynes delights in another pull shot to the boundary. It’s the best over for Australia so far and Brunt will need to have a think about her length.

6th over: Australia 16-0 (Alyssa Healy 5, Rachael Haynes 8)

Shrubsole starts the over coming around the wicket to Haynes – a change up she throws in every now and then in an attempt to unsettle the left hander and bring the LBW into play. The first two balls are good, but the third drifts too far down leg side and is given a wide. She continues around the wicket, but pulls her line back a touch and doesn’t offer Haynes anything but a single to get off strike. Shrubsole comes back over the wicket to the right handed Healy. She’s bowling to her field very well, so despite good shots, Healy can’t get the ball past the fielders. There’s an appeal on the last ball of the over but the umpire says no and Shrubsole can’t convince Knight to review.

5th over: Australia 14-0 (Alyssa Healy 5, Rachael Haynes 8)

It’s a good crowd in today, which is great news considering NZ didn’t make the final four. The tournament organisers have done a great job in keeping the crowds engaged and giving it a real big event feel, so it doesn’t matter to the fans who is playing, they just want to be a part of it. Brunt has a big appeal early in the over, but it’s sliding down leg and she’s smart enough not to review it. The next ball is even better, it’s doing so much it may evolve into a member of the team before too long. Haynes punches one down the ground late in the over that’s fast enough to evade Brunt, but only enough for a single.

4th over: Australia 11-0 (Alyssa Healy 5, Rachael Haynes 6)

It’s a bit of a cat and mouse game going on so far – the English bowlers are mostly bowling very good line and length and the Australian batters are just waiting on the opportunities for the slightly looser balls to pounce on. It’s a very good over from Shrubsole, just one from it.

3rd over: Australia 10-0 (Alyssa Healy 5, Rachael Haynes 5)

Brunt resumes and Healy is looking a little bit cautious. In the past that would have been a bad sign for her, but she seems to have settled those nerves of late and is able to play her way into a game even with a cautious start. It isn’t long before she finds a shorter ball from Brunt that she likes the look of and cuts one beautifully past deep backward point for her first boundary. Brunt tightens up her length and finishes with two dot balls.

2nd over: Australia 6-0 (Alyssa Healy 1, Rachael Haynes 5)

Anya Shrubsole takes the new ball from the city end – no surprises there. Haynes defends one back to her, then plays a delivery that’s heading towards leg stump very fine and down past fine leg for the first boundary of the match. Shrubsole tightens up her line to the left hander and it’s a good match up between these two so far. Shrubsole won’t want to let Haynes get too settled though, she is dangerous once she’s got her eye in.

1st over: Australia 2-0 (Alyssa Healy 1, Rachael Haynes 1)

We’re underway at Christchurch’s Hagley Oval! Brunt takes the new ball from the Port Hills end. She starts with a dot ball to Healy and then bowls a lovely one that dances just past the outside edge of Healy’s bat. Her length is very good today and in the middle of the over, Healy manages to find a little something and gets her away for a single to get off the mark and bring Haynes on to strike. Haynes flicks one away for a single and Healy finishes with a defensive shot to make for a good first over for Brunt.

Well the big news from the team lists is that Ellyse Perry is back for Australia. It’s unlikely that she’ll bowl, but she’ll be hoping for a big game with the bat. Although she is Australia’s biggest name, I don’t think it would have troubled the favourites too much if Perry hadn’t been able to play. But she truly deserves this opportunity and after missing the T20 World Cup final in 2020, this is a huge moment for her. England come in with an unchanged line up from the semi – no surprises there, as they were strong in all areas of that game.

Heather Knight says they want to get out as a team to start this game and thinks this pitch might do a little bit. Of course playing on her mind must be the fact that Meg Lanning absolutely loves a chase, so that might be the first step to pushing them out of their comfort zone. Of course, plenty of teams have forced Australia to bat first this World Cup and it hasn’t particularly helped! But it’s certainly a confidence boost and if they can take early wickets, they will be buyoed by that.