NAVI MUMBAI, India (AP) — India won the Women’s Cricket World Cup for the first time with a 52-run victory over South Africa on Sunday.

Opener Shafali Verma scored a career-best 87 off 78 balls as the tournament co-host reached 298-7 in 50 overs after losing the toss and batting first at the DY Patil Stadium.

South Africa was out for 246 in 45.3 overs in reply with its chase effectively over after skipper Laura Wolvaardt was out for 101 runs in 98 balls. India's Deepti Sharma took the final wicket of the match and finished with bowling figures of 5-39 from 9.3 overs.

It was India’s third final after 2005 and 2017.

Both sides were unchanged from the semifinals when India beat defending champions and seven-time winners Australia by five wickets and South Africa beat four-time champions

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