Australia beat South Africa by 19 runs to win Women’s T20 World Cup for the sixth time
Opener Beth Mooney struck a half-century after a brilliant performance by the bowlers as Australia thrashed South Africa by 19 runs in the final of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup here on Sunday to win their third consecutive title and sixth overall. Apart from Australia, no other team has won this title more than once. Australia took six wickets from Mooney’s 53-ball 74 not out, studded with nine fours and a six, and her first-wicket 36-run partnership with Alyssa Healy (18) and 46 in the second with Ashleigh Gardner (29). But scored 156 runs.
In response, South Africa could only manage 137 runs for six wickets despite a half-century from opener Laura Wolvaardt (61 off 48 balls, five fours, three sixes). Apart from Wolvaardt, Chloe Tryon (25) was the only South African to cross the 20-run mark. Both also added 55 runs for the fourth wicket. Ashleigh (1/20 in 4 overs), Megan Schutt (1/23 in 4 overs) and D’Arcy Brown (1/25 in 4 overs) were economical bowlers for Australia, playing in their seventh consecutive final. Took one wicket each while bowling.
South Africa, playing in the final of the T20 World Cup for the first time, lost the wicket of Tajmin Brits in the fifth over while chasing the target, who was caught by Tahlia McGrath off Brown after scoring 10 runs in 17 balls. The hosts could only manage 22 runs for one wicket in the power play. Wolvaardt then took the lead, hitting Brown for a four and Jess Jonassen for a six. Marijne Kapp, however, gave a simple catch to Brown at short third man off Ashleigh.
He scored 11 runs. Wolvaardt brought up his half-century in the 10th over with a four off Georgia Wareham but captain Sune Luus was run out for two to leave the team at 54 for three. Australia’s bowlers continued to put pressure on South Africa’s batsmen. Wolvaardt and Tryon tried to increase the run rate. Wolvaardt hit Tahlia McGrath and Wareham for sixes while Tryon also saw Wareham’s ball for the boundary.
Wolvaardt completed his half-century off 43 balls with a four off Brown. South Africa needed 59 runs to win in the last five overs. Only six runs were scored in the 16th over of the Ashleigh. Tryon hit Megan Schutt for a four in the next over but the fast bowler dealt a major blow to the hosts when he trapped Wolvaardt lbw. Tryon hit Jonassen for a six but the left-arm spinner missed a straight ball and was bowled, ending the hosts’ true hopes of victory. Anneke Bosch (01) was also run out in the same over.
The team needed 35 runs in the last two overs. Schutt’s eight in the 19th over while Ashleigh’s last over yielded only seven runs, ensuring Australia’s victory. Earlier, Australian captain Meg Lanning won the toss and decided to bat first. The pairing of Alyssa and Mooney got the team off to a cautious start. Mooney started off slow but Alyssa looked to be in rhythm.
He opened the account with a four on the second ball of Nonkululeko Malaba and then hit fours on Ismail and Cap as well. Alyssa, however, edged Cap’s bouncy ball through the covers to Nadine de Klerk. Mooney and Ashleigh then steadied the innings. Ashleigh hit Malaba for two consecutive fours to take the team’s score past 50 runs in the eighth over. He also hit De Klerk for two consecutive sixes but was caught by Sune Luce off Chloë Trion. He hit two fours and two sixes while facing 21 balls. Mooney held one end and played some attractive shots in between. He hit two consecutive fours on De Klerk. Grace Harris (10) brought up Australia’s century in the 14th over with a four off Tryon but was bowled by Malaba in the next over.
Australia struggled to increase the run rate in the final overs. After scoring 10 runs in 11 balls, Lanning was caught by Tryon on the ball of Cap. Mooney completed his half-century in 44 balls with fours on the cap. He hit sixes and fours off Ismail’s consecutive balls in the last over. Ismail dismissed Ellyse Perry (07) and Georgia Wareham (00) off consecutive balls. Ismail took 26 while Cap took two wickets for 35 runs.
