Australia chase down record total to win World Cup thriller

Australia are through to the Women’s World Cup semi-finals after a thrilling record run chase saw them squeak past India’s 7-277 in Auckland.

Beth Mooney produced last-over heroics and Meg Lanning led from the front, scoring a superb 97 to give Australia a rare win at the All Blacks’ “house of pain”, Eden Park.

Australia looked to have the task in hand before showers arrived to inject drama into the run chase and pausing their innings at 2-225, needing 53 runs from 54 balls to win.

With Lanning gone eight runs from victory, Mooney steadied the ship and saw out a last over with Australia needing eight to win. Showing class and steel, Mooney slammed two boundaries from the first three deliveries as Australia completed the record chase, earning a six-wicket win with three balls remaining.

The victory is Australia’s fifth straight in New Zealand, where they are looking to recapture the trophy lost five years ago in England.

Lanning won the toss and opted to bowl in Auckland, hoping to take advantage of the bouncy wicket. Teenage pace star Darcie Brown obliged, taking 3-30 including both openers in the first six overs.

India relied on a 130-run stand between Mithali Raj (68) and Yastika Bhatia (59) to build their innings, before Harmanpreet Kaur took flight late. The trio all tallied half-centuries, with Australia helping them out through a scattergun attack.

Ellyse Perry was the worst offender as Australia gave away 24 runs from wides, their worst return of any World Cup innings. Handed the ball in the 12th over, Perry got her line all wrong, bowling six individual wides - including one that went to the ropes - to the delight of the partisan crowd. Fans screamed ‘wide’ with every run-up and release as Perry went for 16 and