Wellington, Dec 23 (NationPress) Australia concluded their 24-match ICC Women's Championship journey with a commanding 75-run victory against New Zealand at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, thereby securing an unbeatable lead in the tournament rankings and clinching their third consecutive title in this prestigious competition.

With a total of 39 points (comprising 17 victories, three no-results, and three losses), Australia's points tally is beyond the reach of any other team. India, their nearest rival, can only achieve a maximum of 37 points from their remaining matches against West Indies (two) and Ireland (three).

This defeat carries significant consequences for New Zealand, who now face uncertainty regarding their automatic qualification for the 2025 ICC Women's Cricket World Cup. Presently placed in the final automatic qualification position with 21 points from 24 matches, they are at risk of being surpassed by Bangladesh (19 points, with three matches left) or the West Indies (14 points, with five matches remaining). If they slip down the rankings, New Zealand will have to compete in the Cricket World Cup Qualifier, where six teams will battle for the last two spots in the tournament.

Australia's victory also guarantees an automatic World Cup qualification for Sri Lanka, who can no longer be surpassed by teams with pending games.

This match further established Australia’s reputation as one of the most dominant forces in women’s cricket.

Choosing to bat first, Alyssa Healy and Phoebe Litchfield provided a solid start with an 88-run opening partnership. Contributions from Annabel Sutherland (42 off 43) and Ashleigh Gardner (74 off 62) enabled the visitors to set a formidable target of 290 runs.

In response, New Zealand seemed well-positioned at 106/1 in the 20th over, but a boundary catch dismissing Suzie Bates and a run-out involving Melie Kerr turned the tide. From that point on, Australia’s bowlers took charge, with Sutherland (3-39) and Alana King (3-34) spearheading the attack to bowl out the White Ferns for 215 runs.

Australia remains the only team to have won the ICC Women’s Championship, having also claimed titles during the 2014-16 and 2017-20 cycles.