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Published On ۵ Jul ۲۰۲۶
Australia have crushed England by seven wickets in a one-sided final to land their seventh Women’s T۲۰ World Cup at a sold-out Lord’s Cricket Ground in London.
A sparkling second-wicket century partnership between Beth Mooney (۶۴ runs) and Phoebe Litchfield (۴۸ runs) helped Australia chase down a victory target of ۱۵۱ with ۱۷ balls to spare on Sunday.
Having beaten England ۱۶-۰ in the multi-format Ashes ۱۸ months ago, Australia comprehensively outplayed their rivals again to claim the trophy.
“That’s the only way in T۲۰ cricket – throw the first punch. We just tried to get the run rate down as fast as possible,” said Litchfield, whose ۴۸ came off just ۳۵ balls.
She credited Mooney for easing the pressure of the run chase.
“‘Moods made it look easy out there and took the pressure off me, and we had an awesome partnership,” she said. “It’s always lots of fun batting with ‘Moods’, running hard and getting creative.
“It’s such a cool feeling to contribute, and to win the World Cup is incredible.”
Mooney was named player of the tournament after her ۶۴ from ۴۹ balls for an Australia side who went through the tournament unbeaten.
“I just tried to make sure we got ahead of the game as early as possible,” she said.
“This is an amazing icing on the cake for what has been a pretty amazing tournament for the group.”
England’s under-par total of ۱۵۰-۴ was built around an unbroken partnership of ۸۰ between captain Nat Sciver-Brunt and Freya Kemp.
Sciver-Brunt made ۵۸ from ۵۳ balls, with Kemp striking ۴۴ from ۲۸, including a straight six off Sophie Molineux in the final over, but they were starting from too far back after a sluggish start.
Australia reduced England to ۳۹-۲ in the first six overs. Lucy Hamilton picked up her first wicket in the World Cup, slanting a delivery across Amy Jones to have England’s opener caught low down by Georgia Voll at gully for six.
Wicketkeeper Mooney took a superb tumbling catch down the leg side off the glove to remove the tournament’s leading run scorer Danni Wyatt-Hodge for eight, giving Annabel Sutherland her ۵۰th wicket in T۲۰ internationals.
Alice Capsey hit Ash Gardner over deep mid-wicket for six as England tried to break the stranglehold, but she was bowled by Molineux, reverse-sweeping, for ۲۳, and Heather Knight was trapped lbw for two by the miserly Kim Garth, who took ۱-۲۰ from her four overs.
Sciver-Brunt and Kemp upped the ante, but the modest target was insufficient to test Australia.
Voll signalled Australia’s intent by hitting the first ball from Charlie Dean to the boundary, and although the opener departed next over, dragging on Lauren Bell for nine, Mooney and Litchfield flayed the England attack.
They took out a huge chunk of the target in the first ۱۰ overs, reaching ۹۸-۱, and kept their foot to the floor.
Litchfield, who hit two sixes, was bowled by Dean, with Mooney following lbw to Sophie Ecclestone, but Ellyse Perry saw Australia home after being given a life when a catch by Ecclestone was controversially ruled out by the TV umpire.
Victory was confirmed with four wides from a wayward delivery by Ecclestone – a neat summation of England’s day.
“They [Australia] have led the way for years,” said England coach Charlotte Edwards.
“You have to be at your best to beat them, and we weren’t, hence why they’re lifting the trophy now.
“Although we have missed out today, I don’t think we should be disheartened. This is a very, very good Australian team who have dominated women’s cricket, and we’re not too far away.”
