Australia claim stunning world record with ODI win
Australia are already eyeing off their next milestone after romping to a world record 18th consecutive one-day international victory behind another brilliant Alyssa Healy century in Brisbane.
The hosts chased Sri Lanka's 8-195 with ease on Wednesday at Allan Border Field, losing just one wicket as they reached the target in the 27th over.
Healy (112no from 76 balls) brought up her third ODI hundred, but first on home soil, in 71 balls while last-game century maker Rachael Haynes (63 from 74) stuck with her in a 159-run opening stand.
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The wicketkeeper sealed the contest with a crisp six over long-on to cap a dominant run against the world's No.8 side, highlighted by a T20 record unbeaten 148 off just 61 balls last week in Sydney.
Player of the match and the series, Healy was proud to remain unbeaten and said a mental shift had helped her address a "weird" habit of throwing her wicket away when well set.
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"I can't really talk you through the innings, it just flew by until I got to 96 and then it got a little difficult," she said.
"When I'm hitting the ball down the ground I know I'm playing well and that was a real focus of mine.
"When one came off in the second over it was like a monkey off my back and I was ready to go."
The victory continued Australia's two-year unbeaten streak in the format and saw them go past the 17-game record set by Belinda Clark's Australian team in the late 1990s.
The national squad will now break for the WBBL, which begins next Friday, before the T20 World Cup on home soil next year.
Australia's men own the outright ODI record with 21 straight victories, set in 2003.
Meg Lanning's side can match that streak with a clean-sweep of their three-game series in South Africa in March, when they next play 50-over cricket.
Aussies eye even bigger record
A typically measured Lanning said they'd "give it a crack" but that Clark had already issued her their next challenge.
"She sent me a message that said her team only lost two games out of 33, so we need to keep going," she said.
"We've got one record but we need to make sure we keep going. We're under strict instructions."
Earlier, Sri Lankan standout Chamari Atapattu (103 from 128) backed up her brilliant T20 century from earlier in the tour with another hundred after her side won the toss.
Atapattu's fifth ODI ton - she is the only Sri Lankan women to reach triple figures - was laced with exquisite cover drives and cut shots.
A collapse of 3-2, triggered by leg-spinner Georgia Wareham's (2-18) probing four-over spell, halted Sri Lanka's bright start though and the Australians didn't look back.
