Australia won their fourth women's World Cup title, comfortably beating New Zealand by five wickets in the final at Eden Gardens, Calcutta.

The Kiwis, who beat defending champions England in the semi-final, were dismissed for 164 in 49.3 overs.

Australia, who also won the cup in 1978, 1982 and 1988, cruised past the target with 14 balls of their 50 overs to spare, having lost five wickets.

Opener Debbie Hockley's 79 was the backbone of the New Zealand innings after her captain Maia Lewis won the toss and batted first on a lifeless wicket.

But nobody else dominated the Australian bowling. Medium-pacer Cathryn Fitzpatrick was the meanest, conceding just 23 runs off her 10 overs, plus the wicket of Hockley, who was bowled in the 46th over with the score on 155.

Scorecard:

New Zealand

Extras (b5 lb4 w3 nb1) 13
Total 5 wickets (47.4 overs) 165

Fall of wickets: 1-36 2-107 3-117 4-153 5-160

Did not bat: C Mason, J Price, C Fitzpatrick, A Fahey.

Bowling: Withers 10-2-23-2, Nicholson 10-3-26-0, Brown 1-0-10-0, Ramel 4.4-0-23-2, Campbell 10-1-36-1, McLauchlan 9-0-26-0, Hockley 3-0-12-0
 

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