Opener Alyssa Healy smashed a record 170 as Australia routed England by 71 runs to claim their seventh Women’s World Cup win on Sunday.

Healy’s belligerent 138-ball innings, the highest individual total in a World Cup final, helped Australia set a mammoth victory target of 357 at the Hagley Oval, which proved beyond the defending champions despite a fighting century by Nat Sciver.

Sciver’s unbeaten 148 entertained the crowd but she played a lone hand as England were bowled out for 285 with six overs to spare.

Meg Lanning’s Australia finished unbeaten in nine matches. They have now won three of the last five 50-over World Cups and own both the major global trophies, having claimed the T20 World Cup on home soil in 2020. “I think we deserved the victory,” said skipper Lanning.

With England needing more than seven runs an over, Sciver was magnificent in her 121-ball knock but ran out of batting partners. Pace bowler Megan Schutt (2/42) and spinners Alana King (3/64) and Jess Jonassen (3/57) never loosened their grip on England.

Poor fielding

Four days after hammering 129 in the semi-final against the West Indies, Healy again burnished her big-game credentials. Two years ago, she routed India’s bowlers in a 39-ball 75 as Australia won the T20 World Cup final in Melbourne.

On Sunday, she blasted 26 fours as Australia posted 356/5 after England skipper Heather Knight won the toss and elected to field. Healy and Rachael Haynes put on an 160-run opening stand, enabled by dropped catches and poor fielding.

Haynes (68) might have been run out on 19 but for a weak throw to the wicketkeeper’s end. Seamer Kate Cross was let down twice in four balls by her teammates, with Haynes dropped for 47 and Healy for 41.

Healy was again dropped on 136 at short fine leg by a leaping Tammy Beaumont.