2013 Women’s Cricket World Cup – A Summary
“I fondly remember the 2013 campaign, not just for the win but for the emotional decision I took soon after our crowning glory. I had decided to quit the game before the World Cup.”, – Lisa Sthalekar
After reading this, I’m sure you’ve realized that the 2013 edition of the women’s cricket world cup was a distinctive one for many reasons. Like its previous commencement, this edition was played in a group stage and knock-out format between 8 teams- England, Sri Lanka, West Indies, India, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Pakistan. Each team played 3 matches resulting in 25 matches that were played between 31st January and 17th February in 5 stadiums across India.
As mentioned, the cup was back in India after its previous appearances in 1978 and 1997, birthing high expectations from Indian fans but despite kicking off their campaign with a convincing 110 run win, India couldn’t move any forward as this happened to be their only win in the tournament, against West Indies. On the other hand, West Indies bounced back big time and made it to the final against 5-time champions, Australia.
The final was played in Mumbai at the Brabourne Stadium on 17th February at 2:30 pm IST. The toss turned in the Australian women’s favor who chose to bat first and put up a remarkable 259/7 in their 50 overs. The top performer was Jess Duffin who scored 75 off 76 and was adjudged player of the match. For the Windies, Shaquana Quintyne was the top performer with her 3 scalps that, however, were not sufficient to slow down the Aussies. The Windies women were not able to hold their nerve and were bowled out cheaply for just 145 in 43.1 overs. It was renowned Ellyse Perry who led the attack and picked up 3 at an economy rate of just 1.90 with 3 maiden overs.
Post this, Australia hoisted their 6th title after which, as hinted earlier, Lisa Sthalekar announced retirement from international cricket after playing 125 ODI matches, scoring 2,728 runs. It was a moving moment for Australian supporters as Lisa was one of the performers who truly contributed to the uprise of Australian cricket and was the reason hundreds of little girls, especially those of color, adopted cricket.
Student, Athlete, and Cricket Enthusiast.