3 minute read
Alana King, Ash Gardner and Darcie Brown have been dobbed in by teammates as celebration party standouts in the wake of Australia's historic World Cup win.
Last time they lifted a World Cup, Meg Lanning's side sang with pop superstar Katy Perry and 86,000 people at the MCG after their T20 heroics.
On Sunday, after Alyssa Healy's superb 160 earned Australia the ODI crown, they played tunes from their phones and drank a few beers in the middle of Hagley Oval.
After all, where's safer to celebrate in COVID-hit Christchurch than a cricket pitch?
"It was a slightly different feel without Katy," Healy said.
"We hung around the ground for a bit and just chatted. It's where you bond the most and you learn the most about the game.
"It's different. Just as unique. Just as special but."
To enjoy their low-key celebrations on the pitch where they beat England, they first needed to ask the groundstaff to move.
"We actually booted the groundies off the wicket. We said 'righto, our turn!'" Healy laughed.
"They got the last laugh and turned the sprinklers on us to get us off."
The party ramped up back at the team hotel, where the English players were also staying, several of them popping in for a few.
Healy nominated physio Kate Beerwoth as best reveller for attempting a handstand in the change room.
"That was pretty epic. Kingy (spinner Alana King) was pretty good too, she thoroughly enjoyed herself," Healy said.
Speaking at lunchtime on Monday, King admitted "minimal" sleep and a keen need "to get some food and some liquids" soon.
Like many sport teams of recent years - and notably the Western Bulldogs and Melbourne AFL clubs - 90s Euro dance anthem 'Freed from Desire' by Gala got a strong run.
"Ash Gardner was definitely BOG. She was playing that desire song, so her DJ'ing, the dance moves, everything about it," she said.
"We had our circuit sunnies on which was a big thing for us. Some people had the snow goggles on.
"We're just living our best lives really ... it's well deserved celebrations to cap off a tremendous tournament."
Captain Lanning said 19-year-old Darcie Brown - one of the fresher faces on Monday - was her nominee for hardest partier.
"I don't even want to think about how old she is. So young," Lanning said.
Gardner said without Katy Perry, the onus was on the team to create the party.
"The vibe is a little bit different down here," she said of the South Island, where any clubs or hotspots were shut due to COVID-19.
"I actually don't think I was best on ground. I went to bed earlier than some others did.
"It's like 50-over cricket to T20 cricket. T20 cricket is such an entertaining game. 50-over cricket is a little bit more pure and traditional and I guess that's flowed over to the celebration side of things."
In more good news for the Australians, all passed their COVID-19 tests on Monday morning.
The negative tests mean they'll be able to fly home on Tuesday, ending a marathon 11-week slog away from family and friends as they won the Ashes and World Cup.
"It's been a lot of fun. It's flown by to be honest," Lanning said.
"But we're all ready for a bit of home time."
The sole World Cup winner staying in New Zealand was Healy, who will head further south with partner Mitchell Starc for a few rounds of golf around Queenstown.
