Australia Dominates Final at Lord's
Australia thrashed England by seven wickets in a sold-out final at Lord's on Sunday to win a record-extending seventh women's T20 World Cup title. Beth Mooney (64) and Phoebe Litchfield (48) shared a second-wicket partnership of exactly 100 runs, guiding Australia to a modest target of 151 with 17 balls to spare.
Victory meant Australia had now won all seven of their world finals—across both one-day international and T20 cricket—against arch-rivals England. For England, Sunday's defeat ended their record of winning every major global women's cricket event they had hosted.
Mooney and Litchfield Lead the Chase
Australia arrived in England not holding either the 50-over or T20 world titles. Player-of-the-match Mooney said at the presentation ceremony: "We're just happy to be here—it has been pretty well-documented that we haven't made it this far in the last two ICC events. I thought Georgia Voll hit the ball really well before her unfortunate dismissal. Phoebe Litchfield came out and nailed it from ball one. I just kept going and tried to make sure we got ahead in the game as early as possible."
Tight Australia bowling, backed by typically impressive fielding, restricted England to a below-par 150-4. England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt (58 not out) and Freya Kemp (44 not out) shared an unbroken stand of 80 that revived the innings from 70-4. The new-ball duo of Kim Garth (1-20 in four overs) and Lucy Hamilton (1-19 in three) were the pick of the attack in Australia's first global final at Lord's.
England's Innings Falls Short
"I thought the bowlers did an exceptional job to hold them (England) to that total," said Australia's Annabel Sutherland. England, bidding for a first major title since winning the 2017 50-over World Cup final at Lord's and with the memory of a 16-0 rout by Australia in the last multi-format Ashes still fresh, rarely looked in with a chance.
Sciver-Brunt had promised her side would go "toe-to-toe" against Australia, with both sides unbeaten at the tournament before the final. But England's innings rarely got out of second gear. "I am stood here hugely disappointed," said Sciver-Brunt. "We have had a great competition to this point so for it to end like that is a bit sour in the mouth at the moment." Sciver-Brunt, accompanied by her son Theo onto the outfield for the pre-match anthems, added: "When the pressure was on, their bowlers made it very difficult for us."
Australia's Chase: Clinical and Ruthless
Dejected England coach Charlotte Edwards, brought in following the Ashes debacle after enjoying several triumphs against Australia during her playing days, said: "Gutted, really. We came here with so much belief and confidence to pull off something really special... but they (Australia) are a very, very good team and we were completely outplayed there in the end."
Australia were 17-1 when Voll, who lofted the first ball of the chase for four, played on to Lauren Bell. But the runs kept coming, with Mooney—who had already kept wicket expertly—steering Bell through backward point for one of seven fours in her 38-ball fifty. Litchfield swept Charlie Dean for four and lofted the off-spinner for six over extra-cover. By the end of the six-over powerplay, Australia had one hand on the trophy at 68-1.
Dean bowled Litchfield to end a stand of 100 in 67 balls. Mooney was eventually lbw to left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone, but Australia were now in sight of victory at 140-3. England's day was summed up when Australia's winning runs came courtesy of five wides from Ecclestone, whose legside delivery sped to the boundary.
Early Wickets Put England on Back Foot
Earlier, Australia struck soon after captain Sophie Molineux won the toss, with Amy Jones edging Hamilton to gully. Veteran opener Danni Wyatt-Hodge became the first batter to score 300 runs at a women's T20 World Cup but fell for eight when she gloved Sutherland and was well caught down the legside at the second attempt by a diving Mooney. Alice Capsey made 23, but when Heather Knight—fresh from a fine fifty in a 40-run semi-final rout of South Africa—was plumb lbw for just two to Garth's leg-cutter, England had slumped to 70-4.
