Kiwis in full flight, win World Cup

By Steve Whiting

CHRISTCHURCH, DEC. 23. The New Zealand women's cricket team will have an extra touch of glamour about it when it tours India late next year - it will arrive as World champion after beating Australia by four runs in an exciting climax to the CricInfo women's World Cup here on Saturday.

Holder Australia had gone 16 matches undefeated prior to the final. But on this day it ran into a team determined to make up for losing it's last two World Cup finals - to England at Lord's in 1993 and then to Australia by five wickets in Calcutta, 1997.

Captain Emily Drumm had said before this tournament that she was fed up with being the bridesmaid. New Zealand had beaten Australia in the Rosebowl competition between the two countries two years ago and Drumm said, ``I want you to repeat the awesome level of performance that we showed then.''

Yet after an innings that was interrupted for half an hour by the only rain stoppage in the entire tournament, New Zealand did not have a happy lunch. It was all out for 184 in 48.4 overs, only Kathryn Ramel, with 41 in 70 minutes had really flourished with the bat, and Drumm's thoughts were dark.

``I thought, `Oh God, here we go again','' she said. ``It looked as if we had learned nothing from our defeats in '93 and '97 and my mind kept going back to 1993 at Lord's when I dropped two catches and got a duck.

I never thought I would feel that miserable again, but if we lost this one I knew that I would. I knew we had to field out of our skins and bowl the best we could possibly bowl against this team.''

And that is precisely what New Zealand did. Opener Lisa Keightley was caught behind off a beauty from Katrina Keenan, but despite her four-ball duck still collected the CricInfo player of the tournament award, which was a bit of a surprise in view of the fact that at 375 her aggregate was not as good as that of No. 3 Karen Rolton and at 93.75 her average, though good, was nowhere near as good as Rolton's 196.00.

This was Rolton's chance to claim the prize she felt should have been going her way in any case - but she blew it. After scoring one of seven balls she took a risky single to Helen Watson at mid on.

The local girl was in the team for her fielding as much as anything and her direct throw hit the stumps.

The third umpire was called for, but he was hardly needed. Rolton was already on her way back to the pavilion and Australia was two for two. ``We were never going to give up,'' said Drumm. ``That is one of the things we have tried to instill in our team. We had faith in our ability to produce that skill under pressure.''

New Zealand certainly did that - and for once the Aussie machine that had at one time looked impregnable, began to creak. Captain Belinda Clarke did her best to hold it together with a solid 91 off 102 balls that earned her the player of the match award.

But she was fighting a lone battle. She and Cherie Bambury looked as if they could pull things around with a third wicket stand of 83.

But then Bambury lofted medium pacer Rachel Pullar into the offside where veteran Debbie Hockley, one of four New Zealanders who will be retiring after this tournament, took the catch.

From then on the only Australia batswoman who looked as if she might make a fight of it after Clarke was bowled by Nicholson was opening bowler Therese McGregor.

But then Watson took a hand again, diving in at square leg to run her out for 19 off 37 balls.

The scores:

New Zealand: A. O'Leary b McGregor 1, R. Rolls c McGregor b Mason 34, E. Drumm c Price b McGregor 21, D. Hockley lbw b Fahey 24, H. Tiffen c Bambury b Goss 14, K. Ramel c Clarke b Fitzpatrick 41, H. Watson b Fitzpatrick 11, C. Nicholson b Mason 11, R. Pullar (not out) 9, K. Keenan b Fitzpatrick 0, C. Campbell (run out) 0; Extras: (9-lb, 1-nb, 8-w) 18; Total: (in 48.4 overs) 184.

Fall of wickets: 1-17, 2-60, 3-60, 4-92, 5-121, 6-136, 7-172, 8- 175, 9-184.

Australia bowling: Fitzpatrick 9.4-2-52- 3, McGregor 10-5-26-2, Mason 9-2-30-2, Magno 6-0-22-0, Goss 4-0- 14-1, Rolton 6-0-12-0, Fahey 4-0-19-1.

Australia: B. Clarke b Nicholson 91, L. Keightley c Rolls b Keenan 0, K. Rolton (run out) 1, C. Bambury c Hockley b Pullar 14, Z. Goss b Campbell 1, O. Magno b Keenan 4, J. Price b Pullar 10, T. McGregor (run out) 19, C. Fitzpatrick b Ramel 6, C. Mason c Rolls b Nicholson 11, A. Fahey (not out) 3; Extras: (1-b, 6-lb, 1-nb, 12-w) 20; Total: (in 49.1 overs) 180.

Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-2, 3-85, 4-88, 5-95, 6-115. 7-150. 8-159, 9-175.

New Zealand bowling: Keenan 10-3-19-2, Pullar 10-0-35-2, Tiffen 5-1-27-0, Ramel 5-0-26-1, Campbell 10-2- 28-1, Nicholson 9.1-1-38-2.

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