Test Match Special - How Australia won the 2005 Women's World Cup

Episode Date: October 24, 2025

Alison Mitchell speaks to Australia's World Cup winning wicketkeeper Julia Price about her memories of winning the tournament in South Africa in 2005.

You're listening to the TMS podcast from BBC Radio 5 Live. Hello, this is Alison Mitchell with a special episode of the TMS podcast. We'll be looking back at the 2005 Women's World Cup, where Australia won their fifth title and the tournament was held in South Africa for the first time. I'll be joined by World Cup winner Julia Price, who tells me what it was like to lift the cup for a second time, the impact of Captain Belinda Clark, and what it was like playing in South Africa.

You're listening to the TMS podcast from BBC Radio 5 live. So Julia Price, you were Australia's wicketkeeper across three World Cups, winning in 97 and then in 2005. So tell me, did defeat in the year 2000 in the final? In between that, spur you on for the O5 tournament? As much as I'd say, it shouldn't, as a World Cup, you want to win every World Cup, but absolutely, it was definitely a redemption sort of World Cup for us.

There were seven of us that were in the 2000 World Cup that turned up again for 2005. And I don't know if it was actually spoken about per se, but I know that I had on my phone for five years two words. And the last one was it. And the first one started with F. And that message stayed on my phone for nearly five years because we all knew that we'd stuffed it up in New Zealand. We should have won that World Cup.

New Zealand just outplayed us in the final. we probably didn't prepare as well as we could have by rotating our team. And I think that helped us to go forward and how to prepare for tournament play like a World Cup, which can be pretty taxing. So, yes, it certainly was a driving force for us. And it was probably nearly more of a relief at the end of the World Cup than joyous sort of a celebration because it was just one of those things that we'd had on our mind for so long.

So he went out to South Africa, an eight-team tournament around Robin with the top four going through to semis yourselves along with India, England, New Zealand, Ireland, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies. First of all, for the World Cup being held in South Africa because significance there that only just returned to the World Cup in 1997

after the country was readmitted to international cricket post-apartheid. Were you sort of aware of that significance at the time? going out there. Yeah, absolutely. I think that 97 World Cup was the biggie because initially there were 12 teams supposed to be in it. 11 turned up and South Africa obviously coming back into it as you mentioned. Then they toured Australia in 1998 and then 2000 we played them in the semi-finals. So we knew that they're a big cricketing nation. They've got a proud history particularly with the men's team. So it was always the case with the women that, you know, that was always going to be the pathway for them as well. So us having to go to South Africa to

play them. We knew they were going to be tough on home soil. We knew it was great for the development of the team. It was already getting better and better with opportunity. So, yeah, it was quite clear that it was a really good moment for South African cricket. Sadly, for them, they weren't able to make the semi-finals on their home soil. But what was your expectation of a tournament being staged there? Your memories of the grounds that you played at, particularly around the group stages? Yeah, I mean, we didn't really have much of an idea. really been there. Mel Jones and I'd been there actually in 1999. She was working out there for Kau Teng, I think, Cricket Association and coaching. So of course, I had to visit. So we sort of

had seen what the pitches and conditions were like, but really it was all really quite foreign. So our expectations were just, you know, John Hammer had taught us pretty well over the past 10 years and had really got us to prepare for being uncomfortable and the unexpected. So we were just there to make sure that we assessed the conditions well. We played good cricket. We're expecting it to be a little bit similar to Australia, I suppose, being a southern hemisphere country and the style of cricket that the men's team play.

So we didn't really go in with too many expectations of exactly how it was going to be. But there was a lot of rain around that tournament, which was probably one thing we weren't expecting around that time of year. It was March, I think, in 2014. So we were sort of expecting all the rain to be over by that time. So that probably was one thing that threw a little bit of a spanner in the works for the tournament. And most of it was also based around Pretoria, which again, we didn't know a lot about the conditions

and the grounds that we'll be playing on other than Super Sport Park. Yeah, one of them, a little ground called Eusterus. I remember about 15 kilometres east of Pretoria. I was there as the BBC reporter primarily following England through the group stages. and then the semis and the final. I do remember the club grounds not having brilliant drainage. So when it did rain, one of the England matches, yeah, completely washed out very quickly.

The welcome party, do you remember that? A dinner with African dancing, singing. It really, to me, sort of set the tone as out. We know, we're at a real event here. Yeah, it was a fantastic sort of welcome ceremony for us. And it sort of really made you realize that you're part of something special. Obviously, World Cups, for a little while there, we were paying to get to them. This was nice that we were actually getting it covered by our sponsors, which was brilliant,

and Cricket Australia. Being our first World Cup, I think, under Cricket Australia's banner as well, up until then we'd been with Women's Cricket Australia. So we'd amalgamated already with Cricket Australia. But yeah, it was an amazing start to kick off the tournament and really got you inspired to realise where you're at and how special World Cups can be. I think that was Belinda Clark's fourth World Cup and Caspar Fitzpatrick's as well so quite a few girls have been to a lot of World Cups but it still was just something different

being in South Africa and being able to be part of that different cultural experience, the social experience of having all the different teams there as well and also our experience of being an Australian team and how we were going to operate together. So what difference did it make for you guys coming under the Australian cricket board in that material sense, you know, going out on

on a tour and onto foreign soil like a World Cup? I just think we felt like we had more support. We had more resources. We were all back home. We've done a bit of a review of and sort of rethink about the sort of branding of what the Australian women's cricket team. We've been the southern stars up until that point and we'd really tried to shift it around sort of,

I think they eventually went back to the Australian women's cricket team. But we were trying to become our own identity, but part of cricket Australia. they changed our baggy greens for the test series. We had a very similar, or just reverse color of the men's baggy green with regards to the logoing. So we really felt part of the whole system at that point and had been. I think it was 2001 that we went on our first tour under cricket Australia.

And so this was our first World Cup under cricket Australia. They probably supported us a little bit more. There was more media around it, definitely. and just the advertisements from cricket Australia and the support from back home probably just made us feel part of the bigger picture. Did you have any travelling media with you, the Australian team, because I was moving around feeling like I was the sole travelling journalist

alongside actually James Fitzgerald, who was the correspondent for the Irish Times following Ireland's women. But other than that, I don't think I came across another journalist until we got to the semi-finals and the finals, which were televised, and therefore there was a much more full media presence all around, but still at that stage, yeah, I'm not sure there were other travelling journalists on board. To be fair, I'm really rubbish with this. Well, when you're a player, you don't necessarily need to notice, do you? Which is bad, I know. I don't recall

anyone being there, honestly. I know previously in New Zealand trips, I do remember we'd had people come over, so it would have made sense that we had someone there or a media manager, but I don't recall one. I don't even remember one even in the finals. I just don't remember anyone being there at all, funnily enough. So I've just given them a big rap about their support. We had no one there. But back then, yeah, coverage, the semis in the final being televised, did that feel like a big deal having that live coverage? I mean, yeah, there'd been different coverage when you go back and look at when, say, Quick Info sponsored, you know, an earlier World Cup that that brought in that live ball by ball for the very first time.

But by the time you got to those knockouts, were you aware of this sort of exposure? Yeah, we were. We probably didn't really make too much of a difference. By that point, we'd had a lot of coverage on TV, particularly under Cricket Australia since we joined with them. The World Cup in 2000 in New Zealand had a lot of coverage. Every game was televised from memory.

But yeah, it was great that we had the semi-final final. people back home could watch it similar sort of timelines to a point if you want to watch it in the evening. But it was great that it became a bigger deal. We're playing on the bigger fields. What about the place you were staying for this World Cup? You were all in together, weren't you? All the teams together in Pretoria. Yeah, it was a little Shawshank Redemption. You know, we're all sort of stuck in there. And it was, you know, was a Victoria High Performance Centre? Well, high performance would be, question but it was a university and you know it was university accommodation so it was what it was

you know and we're in bunk beds and you know it's uh it was sort of fun but at the same time everyone was on top of each other and you know shalanker on one level we're on the next level and bottom level would have been england and so you're passing each other and you just didn't have that space sometimes you need um as a team and then also individually it's nice to get away they did have a bar to be fair so occasionally you can pop down for a beer and you take that for a walk across the rugby fields and go away and try and just find some time on your own for a bit. But it was difficult to find that space. In fact, I found the tournament quite intense because of that exact reason, the fact that

it was nonstop you either. And there was nothing to do as well. It wasn't like you could relieve your time to go out shopping or go out for coffee somewhere. We weren't allowed to leave the university grounds as well because it was all under armed guard because the area they were concerned about our safety, even though it's a reasonably safe area. I just didn't think they wanted to risk any of us leaving the ground. So everyone was sort of stuck in this one area and we're all going a little stir crazy. So I think that just added to the tension of the World Cup. And when we did get the opportunity to leave,

we actually played the West Indies in Rustenburg, I think, which is near Sun City, which we were so excited to leave the university grounds and escape for a while. And great fun playing the West Indies. It was their first World Cup for a long time. I think their average age was 42. So They were pretty experienced older ladies, but not lacking in confidence at all. They absolutely gave it to us. But it was really good fun. And then we got to go out in a bit of a safari as well. So we did get to have a small peep of what South Africa was like, you know,

on that little mini trip when we got to escape from the university for one game. But yeah, and as I mentioned, down to Pottstrom for the semifinal and then back to Pretoria for the final. I was going to say it was probably a good thing. they did keep you in in Pretoria because I mentioned James Fitzgerald, the other journalist, travelling, actually did get mugged on one occasion. So he had a little bit of a little bit of a scary experience. But yeah, other than that, I mean, yeah, I was moving around very happily,

spending most of my time with Jill McCona Conway, who is the England team manager. So she sort of became my buddy as we went to him from England matches together. I must ask you about the matches and your captain, Belinda Clark because this was to be her last World Cup. What kind of a leader was she and what do you stand out memories from the pathway to the final? Yeah, Belinda, she's an incredible leader and she's one of those players that when we start to get a feel a little bit under the pump or maybe the pressure of the game is shifted and suddenly it's back on us.

You know, you sort of could just glance over at Belinda and you know that she's just got it under control and you suddenly get your confidence back because she never let anyone in to see if she was feeling that pressure at all. She always just had that face on. She was a big finger pointer as well. Like whenever she was, you could tell a little bit when she started to want to step up, she'd be pointing where people needed to field.

And we used to make jokes about, you know, things that we couldn't do as a team. And her thing was always she wasn't allowed to point. And so she'd in the end, like, she'd be, you know, using just a fist to point people of different places to, you know, so I had a good sense of humor at the same time as being a really inspirational captain.

And obviously, a game awareness was incredible. And just managed the team very, very well. And then on top of that, you've got her own skills as well with the bat. Absolutely incredible and an excellent fielder as well. I can't even recall her ever really dropping a catch. Actually, that's not true. She didn't drop one in the ashes and then got the run out off the drop. So, you know, she made up.

Yeah, correct. She isn't perfect. But yeah, no, she was fantastic for the game in Australia. She's still fantastic for the game in Australia. She's still a legendary name, and it's great that younger girls see her as an inspiration and a motivation, that role model to keep aspiring to for maybe them to be one day either playing for Australia

or captaining Australia. So you made it through to the semis, where you came up against England. Were you worried about that match at all? I mean, this was, again, the arch rivalry, wasn't it, England and Australia coming together? Yeah, absolutely. England had improved a lot with John.

to harm her and become a traitor and gone over there in 2001 to help out England cricket. And I think that was just that real shift that they needed to get someone externally to come in and say, hey, this is what they're doing in Australia. And they're like, whoa, you know, and they really lifted their game. Claire Connor was the captain and she's extremely competitive, you know, and she was really trying to drive England to be the best that they could be. So we knew that they were going to be difficult. And as well, in the first round, we played them.

We had them pretty much on the ropes for a while there. And then I know Jenny Gunn came out and got some late runs in the game, which sort of made us sit back and think, they got some fight in them in the English. We know they want to come out of us. Unfortunately, or unfortunately, that game got washed out. So it didn't really matter in the end. But we'd sort of got a bit of a look at them, but not a big look.

So, yeah, that semi-final, we were, you know, quite aware that they'd really improve their game. I think in 2003 in New Zealand, we'd also played a World Series, they called it, India, England, and Australia all played in it. And England had really improved for that. Their professionalism was much better. The way that they went about the game, you could see their structures were much better. And we're sort of like, oh, okay,

we've really got to keep lifting our game all the time. And that's what's so good about. I suppose World Cups, you win one, but you can't stop trying to improve because you know that people are going to be chasing you. And England certainly did that over that four-year period. PMS podcast from BBC Radio 5 Live. And the England team also featured a very young Catherine Bruntz,

who was starting out an international cricket as well. Charlotte Edwards was also in the side. India made their first ever final, making the semis, they beat New Zealand to make it through. Did you at the time think that that would be a big deal for the global game, India making a final, that it might unlock anything or, you know, as a player, are you just so focused on, you know,

what your own team is doing rather than of any wider picture. Yeah, well, probably was not aware of how much impact that would have on the game generally. I certainly thought about that more in 2017 when they played in that one. I thought that would, I could understand by that point that, you know, India were getting better and better all the time. Obviously, making that World Cup was pretty significant for them eventually to continue to be that driving force, top four in the world. Yeah, I think.

it was probably the start of that change of culture and the change of thinking about how women's cricket was perceived in India. So yes, didn't understand it at the time. Certainly did after that World Cup. Obviously, they didn't perform how they would have liked to in that tournament, but Matali Raj certainly did. I think she got 90 odd, but was really the standout for the Indian team.

But an amazing effort for them to get into that final. We watched the semi-final against New Zealand. And our thought, have to admit, though, when they beat New Zealand, was like that already won the World Cup. So we sort of thought that was a thing. Well, it was India's first time in the final, and they were under-Captain Matali Raj, who remarkably would still be captaining them

at the 2017 World Cup final as well. And significantly, it was the first time any Asian country had reached the final. And when they, despite losing in the final, when they went back to India, they were really fettered on return, and the sponsor Sahara called a press conference at the Mumbai Hotel, big press conference to welcome them back. So it was a significant deal that they had made the final,

and immense pride was taken with that. Let's turn to the final, then, Julia. It's Super Sport Park, Centurion, photographs I've got of the lineup for the anthems show, a smattering of spectators around the grassy banks. That was all for the final. Reports remind me that it cost 20 South African rand. to get in to either the semi or the finals. That was about, well, £1.80 British pounds at that time.

You line up for the anthems. What happens next? I can't remember if India were first or we were first. But either way, I'm pretty sure it was our second, actually. And all I remember is the start of Molokos, the time is now started for our national anthem. and we're also to stay there and what had happened, I think, that the Australian National Anthem

was on our playlist and I think they'd just handed them the CD back then the playlist and I think they'd just push the first song which in fact was Sally Bailey's she was quite pumped that her song on the playlist

had been back to the National Anthem for that day so it was sort of good because it maybe sort of broke the tension because we know obviously a World Cup final against India that we hadn't played a huge amount against a little bit of an unknown, but yeah, it did sort of break the tension

to make us laugh, which was a good thing because we were quite aware of the significance of us trying to have that redemption from the previous World Cup as well. And for me personally as well, I'd been dropped from the Australian team the year before. So it was really significant for me to have worked really hard to get back into that team as well. And I'm sure there's lots of other personal stories of everyone sort of having different reasons of why it was significant for them. But, yeah, it was a very funny moment, though. So they found Advanced Australia Fair eventually.

Yeah, they're absolutely. So your team, the Aussies batted first, 215 for four, and Karen Rolton became the first player to score a century in a World Cup final. India then all out for 117 and four runouts within that time. What do you remember of the pathway towards that victory? Yeah, I just remember that it was a. absolute belter of a deck. It was flat. There was nothing in it. We didn't know how we're going to be getting any wickets because it just wasn't doing anything. Same time, our bowlers,

the entire tournament had really bold stumped to stump. A lot of our dismissals were either caught behind the wicket or bold or LBW. So we'd kept the stumps in play. And obviously by doing that was putting a lot of pressure on the batters. They couldn't get the runs. And our feeling was always sort of pride of place for the Australians that we were quite athletic in the field and could put pressure on the batting partnerships and I think that really showed in that final when they weren't getting any runs

they were having to take high risk runs and thus we got the four runouts. But I recall just how difficult it was to, there wasn't much beating the bat that day. I was a bit bored behind the stump I think personally. But it was a great bowling effort from our players Karen Rolton's 100.

I mean, and I think Lisa Sala Lake had got a 50 as well. She did, yeah. And Karen Rolton got a duck in the 2000 final. So she was also very aware of her lack of impact in the last final that she'd played in. So she was really pumped with the fact. And she got play of the tournament, I think, as well after that as well.

Just an incredible player, probably ahead of her time. Between Belinda and Rolts, I always debate about who's my favorite or the most impressive batter that I've seen. and probably for different reasons but Karen Rolt was to me the first batter that was going over the top of cover and really, you know, we see that in Beth Mooney all the time, it's just like a staple for her

but for someone in that sort of era Rolts was way ahead of everyone else and started really setting the tone and lifting the bar for all the future batters to come on how to put together innings, how to bat under pressure rotating strike, all that sort of stuff so yeah, her innings

just sort of set it up for us and we felt very confident with that score on the board. Yeah, that image of her batting with the white, wide-brim sun hat, the floppy is quite iconic, isn't it? Yeah. What was it like keeping wicket to Catherine Fitzpatrick because she was widely renowned as the quickest in the game and the women's game at that point?

Yeah, it was scary. In fact, I was so worried that I'd stuff up and she'd absolutely tear me new one. So she didn't hold back too much. She was a pretty, she's an aggressive fastball. That's exactly what she was. and that's what we wanted her to be. And she struck fear, I think, through most people.

And her team-mates? Yeah, in her own team just socially. But, yeah, no, she was fantastic and really led from the front and obviously played for a long time. I think she played until she was 40. So I think she played in five World Cups, which is an incredible effort, particularly for a fast bowler.

Yeah. Really looked after herself, very fit, made sure she was doing all the right things. But, yeah, had a huge impact on the game. as a fast bowler and sort of really led that bowling unit as well because we had a few younger players in there Emma Liddell, Claire Smith

in their first World Cups. Julie Hayes was in a second World Cup probably not outright quick she was a bit of a little dobbler but yeah she was good for that bowling unit and keeping them competitive and making sure that everyone was working hard and keeping on track and a good foil

for Blinda who was sort of that batting captain, fielding captain and fits with the bowling unit Now, given Matali Raj had scored 91 in the semi-final, she would have been a key wicket to get in the run chase. A report from the final says, and I quote, Raj out to a debatable LBW. It was bowled by Shelley Nitchke. Just wonder whether you recall that moment at all? No, I don't care.

You're out. Don't question the umpire. No, I thought that might be the case. So what about the winning moment, though? what was that like? Particularly because you'd already had one winning moment in 1997. So I wonder how did the two contrast? Because actually 97 was quite different for,

I guess, the number of people in the stadium, not least. Yeah, 97 was crazy and my first World Cup. And, yeah, the 60, well, we get different. We'll say 60,000 we've been going on. 60,000, all women, which was great. They'd shipped them all in. So, yeah, the crowd was going crazy. We're playing New Zealand

So again, it was the same as this one Not a home crowd necessarily And we were only chasing 165 So it wasn't a huge difference This one was like I mentioned It was that redemption It was that relief at the end of it As opposed to relation

Which was the first one Nearly surprise was the first Not surprised, but you know Wow, that was fun You know It wasn't just like a World Cup Where this one was the real pressure Of you've won the World Cup

It was hard earned you've made up for the previous stuff up yeah so it was it was it was very much a relief I don't know if there was wild celebrations but certainly celebrations but it wasn't anywhere near what was like in India with the mayhem that can happen in India as well but yeah it was a very it was a good celebration that night all the teams again because we're all staying in this university accommodation we're all in the refectory together and we're all just having beers and all the teams were mingling, and it was actually really, really nice, actually. And Ireland obviously were there.

We got on very well with Ireland, as we always do. And Miriam really, I think she was one of their legends from Ireland. She was retiring. So again, it sort of nearly became about her retirement drinks as opposed to us winning the World Cup, which was sort of nice and we didn't care because we dig down, I think. We were inwardly very happy with how it went outwardly. Just relief.

You know, it was just we've done it. We can relax now. It's all done. And this was the last World Cup before the International Women's Cricket Council merged with the ICC. Was there much conversation around that at the time insofar as what you hope that might do for the game

or was it not really on your radar when you're there to win a World Cup? It was definitely spoken about a lot. And I can't remember, I should know the name. Eugenie Buckley was the name of the woman. How I remember that, I have no idea. Australian woman who was working for. for the ICC and she was coordinating sort of that crossover between the two.

So it was spoken about a lot that this was the last IWCC World Cup. I remember Betty Timmer was out in South Africa and she was the chair. She was head of the IWCC, wasn't she, from the Netherlands? Absolutely, yeah. And she's been instrumental for the Netherlands for a long time and also for pushing women's cricket generally in the world. But yeah, so it was definitely spoken about. It was constantly in our face, which was fine. and, you know, great.

And we could see that that was a really good shift. Well, we were assuming that it was going to be a really good shift forward. Again, because we'd had five years under Cricket Australia already and seen what difference it could make to our professionalism and our access to fields and access to resources and different coaches and additional support coming in from sponsors. And fan-based support around the world as well. So I think we all knew that it was the direct.

to go. I don't know how, you know, we didn't know how far it was actually going to help us and what it was going to do, but it was definitely that next shift that women's cricket needed in the world. Julia Price, great to get your memories. Thanks for speaking to us about the 2005 World Cup. No, where is it all? Well, that's it for this episode of the TMS podcast. Make sure you subscribe so you get a notification every time we upload. Also, check out the rest of the Women's World Cup podcasts we've done as they're available on the TMS feed right now. as is the latest episode of No Balls with Kate Cross and Alex Hartley. And while you're on BBC Sounds, search for BBC Stumped while you're there.

Thanks for listening. Speak to you next time. Bye-bye.