There’s a reason why teams often opt to bat first in big matches. The pressure of a chase in knockout matches like the ICC event is often way too much for players to handle. Chases make you do funny things. There are brain fades. Useless runouts, no balls, and reckless shots. All of these happen. It happened to India Women in the Women’s ODI World Cup Final in 2017 against England Women, where they lost 6 wickets for 28 runs.
So, let’s take a look at what happens when the team has to chase down a target in the final of a Women’s ODI World Cup Final.
Brief history of the Women’s ODI World Cup Finals
In the first two editions of the Women’s ODI World Cup, 1973 and 1978, there was no final. Back then, the top-ranked team won the title based on the points table. 1982 was the first time a final was played, and Australia Women lifted the cup that year.
In 1993, for the first time, a team (New Zealand Women) wasn’t able to chase the target down (196 against England). However, since then, side batting has had a significant advantage.
Highest successful chase in Women’s ODI World Cup Final history
Of the 12 editions that have been played, only 4 times has a team successfully chased down a target. If they exclude the first two editions, that number comes down to 4 out of 10.
| Target | Winning Team | Opposition | Venue | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 167 | England | New Zealand | Sydney | 2009 |
| 165 | Australia | New Zealand | Kolkata | 1997 |
| 152 | Australia | England | Christchurch | 1982 |
| 128 | Australia | England | Melbourne | 1988 |
