BBC SPORT | Special Events | 2000 | Womens World Cup

World Cup final, Lincoln: New Zealand v Australia
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Hosts New Zealand kept their heads in an edge-of-the-seat climax at the BIL Oval to beat Australia by four runs and win the Women's World Cup for the first time.

The defending champions were all out for 180 off the first ball of the 50th over, bowled by spinner Clare Nicholson, despite a superb innings of 91 by captain Belinda Clark.

Australia needed five to win from the final over, with the last pair of Avril Fahey and Charmaine Mason at the crease, after a match which would have graced the final of any competition.

Mason attempted a square cut but the ball found the top edge and wicket-keeper Rebecca Rolls took the catch to spark scenes of wild celebration among home supporters.

The Clear White Ferns had earlier been dismissed for 184 in 48.4 overs despite being given an excellent start either side of a rain interruption by skipper Emily Drumm (21) and Rolls (34), who collected 11 boundaries between them.

Drumm chose to bat first on what was expected to be an ideal surface for strokeplay as New Zealand sought revenge for their five-wicket defeat in the 1997 final in India, and another loss in the opening match of the tournament.

Loss of momentum

Fitzpatrick rips through Katrina Keenan's defence

But the innings lost momentum after the pair were dismissed in the space of three balls to leave their side on 60 for three.

Therese McGregor bowled her 10 overs in a single spell for excellent figures of two for 26 and Debbie Hockley, playing in her fifth World Cup, was unable to lift the tempo after taking 20 balls to get off the mark.

Hockley did not manage a single boundary in her 24 and it was left to Kathryn Ramel to give her bowlers a reasonable total to defend as she top scored with 41 from 63 balls.

New Zealand needed early wickets to dent Australia's confidence and they achieved a double breakthrough as Lisa Keightley and Karen Rolton were out with only six on the board.

Keightley was caught behind off the impressive Katrina Keenan for nought and Rolton, who scored two centuries earlier in the tournament, was beaten by Helen Watson's throw from mid-wicket as she attempted a quick single.

Clark did not panic, however, and gradually got the scoreboard ticking over by picking up ones and twos and putting away anything loose which came her way.

Collapse

New Zealand savour the moment of victory

Her half century arrived off 59 balls, with seven fours, but Australia suddenly lost their way as four wickets went down for the addition of 30 runs to leave them on 115 for six.

Seam bowler Rachel Pullar claimed two wickets and Catherine Campbell bowled Zoe Goss for one during a canny spell of off-spin bowling, which brought her one for 28 from her 10 overs.

Despite that, Clark looked capable of winning the match on her own until she misjudged an attempted sweep to the first ball of the 42nd over and was bowled by Nicholson for 91.

Drumm gambled by bowling out Keenan, who finished with two for 19, but Watson pulled off her second run out of the innings to remove McGregor for 19 with the score on 159.

When Ramel bowled Cathryn Fitzpatrick for six at the start of the 49th over, the game appeared to have swung decisively in New Zealand's favour.

So it proved, as Nicholson ended Australia's hopes of a fifth World Cup triumph and complete a great year for New Zealand cricket following the success of the men's side at the ICC Knockout Trophy tournament in Kenya.


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