1973 First Women World Cup Final: England vs Australia

The 1973 Women’s World Cup Final match is a golden chapter in the history of cricket. This final was held on Sunday, July 28, 1973, at the traditional cricket stadium, Lord’s Cricket Ground in London, England. The two strong teams facing each other were England and Australia. The excitement among cricket fans was at its peak as the first World Cup Final was hosted at the “Mecca of Cricket.”

Winning the toss, England captain Denise Moore decided to bat first. Their innings started quite cautiously. Openers Lyn Thomas and Chris Watmough gave the team a solid start. However, the main foundation was laid by the all-rounder Enid Bakewell (Denise Moore in the article), who demonstrated patient batting and delivered a valuable unbeaten innings of 118 runs. In the middle order, Chris Watmough scored 45 runs and tried to increase the team’s run rate. Moore, however, batted aggressively towards the end of the innings. Her explosive batting led England to a massive total of 279 runs, losing 3 wickets in the allotted 60 overs. Among the Australian bowlers, Patricia Cornwall (1/50) and Tina Taylor (1/38) took wickets.

• England Scorecard: 279 Runs/3 Wickets/60 Overs

Chasing the target, Australia’s start was not very confident. Against the controlled bowling of the English bowlers, Australian batsmen kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Openers Judith Neale and Tina Taylor failed to score runs quickly. Captain Anne Gordon and Judy Willson put up some resistance. Tina Taylor kept the hope of victory alive with a fighting innings of 45 runs. However, the Australian batsmen came under pressure due to England’s controlled and intelligent bowling. Among the English bowlers, Ruth Westbrook (2/44), June Stephenson (2/22), and Denise Moore (1/38) took wickets and pressurized the Australian batting lineup. In the end, the Australian team could only score 187 runs, losing 7 wickets in the allotted 60 overs.

• Australia Scorecard: 187 Runs/7 Wickets/60 Overs
• England won by 92 runs

In this thrilling match, England defeated Australia by a margin of 92 runs to secure the Women’s Cricket World Cup title for the first time.

Enid Bakewell (Denise Moore in the article) was selected as the “Player of the Match” for her outstanding and patient batting.

This victory marked the beginning of a new era in England’s cricket history, inspiring them to succeed in many major competitions afterward. England’s historic victory at Lord’s Cricket Ground remains an indelible memory for women’s cricket fans today.