Tessa Lee, Sports journalist reporting on global leagues since 2021.
Australia reclaimed the ICC Women's T20 World Cup title with a commanding seven wicket victory over England in the final at Lord's on Sunday. Chasing 151 for victory, Australia reached the target with 17 balls to spare thanks to a superb partnership between Beth Mooney and Phoebe Litchfield. The triumph secured a record extending seventh Women's T20 World Cup crown and marked another memorable chapter in Australia's dominance of global women's cricket.
The victory also preserved Australia's perfect record against England in Women's World Cup finals across both One Day International and T20 formats. England, meanwhile, saw their unbeaten record in major women's global tournaments hosted on home soil come to an end.
Mooney and Litchfield lead dominant chase
Australia lost Georgia Voll early after she attacked from the opening ball of the innings, only to play on to Lauren Bell with the score on 17.
That was as good as it got for England.
Beth Mooney and Phoebe Litchfield took complete control, adding exactly 100 runs for the second wicket in just 67 deliveries. Their aggressive stroke play quickly removed any pressure from the chase and left England struggling for answers.
Mooney anchored the innings with a brilliant 64, bringing up her half century from just 38 balls. The wicketkeeper batter struck seven boundaries and rotated the strike expertly to keep Australia well ahead of the required run rate.
Litchfield provided the perfect support with an attacking 48. She punished England's spinners, sweeping Charlie Dean for four before launching the off spinner over extra cover for six.
Australia raced to 68 for 1 at the end of the powerplay, effectively putting one hand on the trophy before the halfway stage of the innings.
Dean eventually dismissed Litchfield to break the partnership, while Sophie Ecclestone trapped Mooney leg before wicket late in the chase. By then, however, the result was virtually beyond doubt.
Australia fittingly sealed victory in unusual fashion as five wides from Ecclestone raced to the boundary to complete the successful chase.
Bowlers set up the title win
Australia's disciplined bowling attack laid the platform for victory by restricting England to 4 for 150 after captain Sophie Molineux elected to field first.
Kim Garth and Lucy Hamilton were outstanding with the new ball, applying relentless pressure throughout the opening overs.
Hamilton removed Amy Jones early after finding the outside edge, while Garth dismissed Heather Knight with a clever leg cutter after the experienced batter had scored just two.
Veteran opener Danni Wyatt Hodge became the first player to reach 300 career runs at a Women's T20 World Cup but was unable to make a significant contribution, falling for eight after gloving Annabel Sutherland behind.
England slipped to 4 for 70 before captain Nat Sciver Brunt and Freya Kemp rescued the innings with an unbeaten partnership of 80.
Sciver Brunt remained unbeaten on 58, while Kemp contributed 44 not out, helping England reach what ultimately proved to be a below par total.
Australia's fielding once again stood out, with Mooney producing an excellent diving catch behind the stumps and several sharp efforts in the field preventing England from building momentum.
Australia returns to the top
Player of the Match Beth Mooney reflected on Australia's journey back to world champion status after 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," Mooney said.
"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."
Annabel Sutherland also praised the work of Australia's bowlers after limiting England to a manageable target.
"I thought the bowlers did an exceptional job to hold them to that total," Sutherland said.
The victory sees Australia regain the Women's T20 World Cup after arriving in England without holding either the T20 or One Day International world titles.
England left searching for answers
England entered the final unbeaten and full of confidence after an impressive tournament, including a convincing semi final victory over South Africa.
Captain Nat Sciver Brunt admitted her side had been outplayed on the biggest stage.
"I am stood here hugely disappointed," she said.
"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."
"When the pressure was on, their bowlers made it very difficult for us."
Head coach Charlotte Edwards echoed those sentiments after England fell short in front of a packed Lord's crowd.
"Gutted, really," Edwards said.
"We came here with so much belief and confidence to pull off something really special, but they are a very, very good team and we were completely outplayed there in the end."
The result leaves England still searching for their first major global title since winning the Women's Cricket World Cup in 2017.
For Australia, the performance confirmed their status as the benchmark in women's cricket, reclaiming the T20 crown with an emphatic display that showcased their batting depth, disciplined bowling, and exceptional fielding.
