Australia set sparkling new standards for women's cricket in their five-wicket victory over New Zealand to win their fourth World Cup in Calcutta yesterday.
They were faster between the wickets, sharper in the field and, most strikingly, so formidably professional in every aspect of their game. Where New Zealand, and England in their group games, took one run, Australia stole two. Throws reached the wicket quicker, boundaries against them were harder to find.
Australia are fitter, faster, meaner and leaner than the rest. They have applied science to the sport and it has worked. And a 50,000 crowd at Eden Gardens were there to see it yesterday.
There were four survivors of the Australia team that failed to reach the World Cup final in 1993, for the first time. One, pace bowler Cathryn Fitzpatrick who took 1-22 yesterday, barely played. Since then coach John Harmer has applied the principles of biomechanics to her action and she has become the world's fastest woman bowler.
Fitzpatrick epitomises the strides Australia has taken. She and her colleagues train up to five nights a week. If they are not in shape, they are dropped.
Australia are the benchmark for women's cricket but extensive plans newly laid by England are about to give the deposed champions the chance to bounce back. Australia visit them next summer for a Test and one-day series, England tour Australia and play New Zealand in 1999, host India in 2000 and travel to South Africa the following year.
The next World Cup is in New Zealand in 2000, then South Africa four years later when qualifying tournaments will help avoid the farcical mismatches of this championship.
And an annual series between England and South Africa could rival the Australia versus New Zealand Rosebowl, one of the keys to the Antipodean prominence in the sport while England are to urge Commonwealth Games chiefs to include women's cricket in the 2002 championships in Manchester.
Sharon Bayton, chairwoman of the Women's Cricket Association and England's delegate on the International Women's Cricket Council, is to oversee the merge of the WCA with the England and Wales cricket Board in the spring.
"We are about to appoint a paid administrator for the first time and will use a percentage of World Cup profits to develop the sport worldwide," she said.
The technique of Australian captain Belinda Clark, the movement medium pacer Bronwyn Calver squeezed from the wicket and the smooth efficiency of the new champions' unit stole the show yesterday.
Kiwi Debbie Hockley, the world's highest run scorer, was the only New Zealander to hit more than 20 before falling to Fitzpatrick on 79. New Zealand were bowled out for 164 off 49.3 overs. Clark hit 52 to see Australia home with five wickets to spare.
