1993 Women’s Cricket World Cup – A Summary
Back in 1993, I wasn’t even born but I envy everyone who was. I don’t believe I missed out on the 1993 edition of the women’s cricket world cup and no, Australia did not win the cup! In fact, they did not even make it to the final! Held in England for the second time, the 5th edition of this competition was an undoubtedly exciting one for several reasons. With the Royal Family visiting the final as a highlight in the first edition of the tournament, can you guess what must’ve happened when England made it to the final again?
Firstly, it was played between 8 teams – Australia, England, New Zealand, the Netherlands, India, Denmark, West Indies, and Ireland. This was 3 teams more than the previous edition which is a huge deal. It’s not just 3 teams but 3 nations who joined the competition, giving their girls an excellent chance to play and earn a name for themselves. This also allowed more matches to take place, generating more revenue for everyone. 29 matches were played in 25 different venues, most of whom hosted only one each.
The Kiwis made remarkable progress from previous editions, acquiring 7 from their 7 this time. Australia put out an excellent display, which for them was the norm however, were taken over by the English and Kiwis. The final was played in London at the majestic Lord’s. This was also one of the grounds that had hosted the Ashes for the men recently which England has lost. This put undue pressure on the women to secure this win so the English fans have something to celebrate. Not sure if it was the pressure or motivation but it worked. England won the toss and chose to bat first jotting down 195/5 in their 60 overs. Jan Brittin was the highest scorer with 48 (117) while Sarah McLauchlan picked up 2 in her quota of 10 overs. In the second innings, the kiwis collapsed after making just 128 in 55.1 overs, handing over the trophy to the prime champions-England. The top performer of this innings was Gillian Smith who picked up 3.
The final was witnessed by around 4,500 spectators live which was an unbelievable figure back in the day. This tally also included the then Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, John Mayor who had shown up to support the English women who also ensures that this match was given complete media coverage. This kind of coverage was new for the girls but proved to be highly beneficial as it reached thousands of people, urging them to watch, support, and finally, impersonate women’s cricket.
Student, Athlete, and Cricket Enthusiast.