There is no surprise that Australia reigns supreme in women’s cricket. And that is reflected in their clear dominance over the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, having won it 7 times.
The Women’s Cricket World Cup was the first major tournament organised in cricket. In this article, let’s delve into the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup winners from its inception.
ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Winners: Edition by Edition
| Edition | Winner | Runner-up | Host Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | England | Australia | England |
| 1978 | Australia | England | India |
| 1982 | Australia | England | New Zealand |
| 1988 | Australia | England | Australia |
| 1993 | England | New Zealand | England |
| 1997 | Australia | New Zealand | India |
| 2000 | New Zealand | Australia | New Zealand |
| 2005 | Australia | India | South Africa |
| 2009 | England | New Zealand | Australia |
| 2013 | Australia | West Indies | India |
| 2017 | England | India | England |
| 2022 | Australia | England | New Zealand |
1973 | England
The inaugural Women’s World Cup took place in 1973, 2 years before the men’s ODI World Cup kicked off. However, the International Women’s Cricket Council (IWCC) organised the women’s tournament as it wasn’t part of the ICC.
The tournament used the single round-robin format, with each match carrying 4 points for winning and 1 point for a tie or no result.
Since there was no knockout stage, the table toppers, England, lifted the title in 1973. England registered 5 wins from 6 matches, garnering 20 points to top the table.
1978 | Australia
India, which had yet to make its ODI debut, hosted the second edition. Originally, 6 teams were invited to play, but only 4 teams — Australia, England, New Zealand, and India — participated in it.
The 1978 edition also followed the same single round-robin format similar to that of the previous edition. At the end of the group stage, Australia emerged as the table toppers undefeated and got their hands on their maiden World Cup title.
1982 | Australia
The next edition moved to the island country of New Zealand. A total of 5 teams participated — 4 from the previous edition, and the fifth was International XI.
The format for the third edition underwent changes to a triple round-robin format, followed by a final. The top 2 teams, Australia and England, squared off in the summit clash.
Batting first, England could muster a mere 151 runs from 60 overs. In reply, Australia found themselves in a fix after losing 3 quick wickets. But their batters didn’t let loose and won the match by 3 wickets.
With that, Australia won the Women’s World Cup in back-to-back editions.
1988 | Australia
The defending champions were all set to defend their crown in their backyard in 1988. The fourth edition consisted of 5 teams — Australia, England, Ireland, the Netherlands, and New Zealand.
After the conclusion of the double round-robin format, rivals Australia and England met in the final. In a rematch of their previous final encounter, England managed to put up only 127 runs on board. The chase was a walk in the park for the hosts.
The Australian women defended their title successfully and made a hat trick of winning the trophy.
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1993 | England
The tournament was back in England, where it all started. The participating teams rose from 5 to 8, with India making their comeback and Denmark and the West Indies making their first appearances.
New Zealand topped the table after winning 7 out of 7 matches, followed by England with 6 wins to set the final clash.
England’s batters put up a fight while batting first and scored 195 runs. Later, their bowlers strangled the New Zealand team by restricting them to 128 runs.
The victory over New Zealand helped England claim their second World Cup trophy, with both triumphs coming on home turf.
1997 | Australia
The sixth edition, held in India, saw the number of participating teams soar to 11, with Pakistan, South Africa, and Sri Lanka making their tournament debuts. The 11 teams were divided into 2 groups — 6 in Group A and 5 in Group B.
After the group stage, the top 2 teams from each group moved into the semi-finals. New Zealand and Australia emerged as winners from 2 semi-finals to face off in the final.
New Zealand elected to bat first, but only 3 batters scored in double digits. Debbie Hockley’s 79 pushed their total to 164 runs.
While chasing the target, Australia’s top order did their job to help win the match by 5 wickets. And they also won the world title for the fourth time.
2000 | New Zealand
The participating teams were reduced to 8, with Denmark, Pakistan, and the West Indies not featuring in it. All teams were put together in a group, with the top 4 making it to the semi-finals.
The hosts, New Zealand, along with Australia, made it to their second consecutive final. New Zealand managed to score 184 runs in the first innings.
The target wasn’t big for Australia, but New Zealand bowled out the Aussies for 180 runs, winning the match by a close margin of 4 runs. With that, New Zealand were crowned the world champions for the first time.
2005 | Australia
This was the last edition organised by the IWCC before its merger with the International Cricket Council (ICC). The 2005 edition took place in South Africa, with 8 participants.
After the group stage and semi-final encounters, Australia and India reached the summit clash. India, under the young captain Mithali Raj, made its first final appearance.
India had a prolific run in the tournament with only a single loss, but the Australian challenge proved a bit tougher for them. The Aussies thrashed India by 98 runs to lift their fifth Women’s Cricket World Cup.
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2009 | England
The first edition which took place under the aegis of the ICC, and overall, the ninth edition took place in 2009 in Australia. A new format came into effect for this edition, which included a group stage, followed by a super six stage, and then the knockouts.
New Zealand and England clashed in the tournament final. England dismissed the Kiwis for 166 and later went on to chase the target with 4 wickets to spare.
With their triumph over New Zealand, they got their hands on the coveted trophy for the third time.
2013 | Australia
The trophy exchange continued between Australia and England, with the tenth edition staged in India. After the knockouts, Australia and the West Indies locked horns in the final.
Australia came prepared for the clash and posted 259 runs on the board. The target was stiff for the Windies, as they got all out for 145 runs, resulting in Australia winning the match by 114 runs.
The Australian women won the World Cup again to make it a perfect six!
2017 | England
The tournament went back to the format used in 2005, with all teams placed in a single group facing each other once. India entered the finals by defeating the defending champions, Australia, in the semi-final. While hosts England beat South Africa to secure their spot in the final.
India’s bowlers did pretty well to hold England from posting a huge total, as the hosts managed 228 runs. Later, it looked like India was cruising to their first World Cup victory, but they let loose under pressure and lost wickets in quick succession with the target in sight.
England’s Anya Shrubsole used her experience to skittle India on 219 runs, snatching the victory by 9 runs. Later, England were crowned champions for the fourth time.
2022 | Australia
The twelfth edition was to happen in 2021 but was postponed by a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The final saw archrivals Australia and England fight out for the coveted trophy.
The Australian batters came down heavy against the English bowlers, posting a huge total of 356 runs. Keeper-batter Alyssa Healy top-scored for them with a 170-run knock.
In response, England kept hitting hurdles at regular intervals, with Nat Sciver-Brunt (148*) grappling to find support at the other end. The Aussies skittled England for 285 runs and snatched the trophy from them.
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