Australia are back on top of the world, with Sophie Molineux lifting the T20 World Cup trophy just six months into her tenure as captain after her team stormed to a seven-wicket over England at Lord’s.
The Aussies had scarcely been challenged on their unbeaten run to the final and they saved the best for last, restricting England’s star-studded batting line-up to 4-150 and chasing it with 17 balls to spare.
After surrendering both the 20- and 50-over titles over the past two years, Australia reasserted themselves as the world’s best team, securing their 14th white-ball title.
England had also come into the final undefeated and fancied their chances in front of a 28,000-strong home crowd but they never broke the shackles against a disciplined Australian attack led by a miserly Kim Garth (1-20), with Nat Sciver-Brunt scraping out a 53-ball 58no.
In contrast, Beth Mooney (64 off 49) and Phoebe Litchfield (48 from 35), ensured Australia were never under pressure despite being asked to chase a record total in a T20 World Cup final.
After Georgia Voll hit two early boundaries before being bowled for nine, leaving Australia 1-17, Mooney and Litchfield took control with a 100-run stand.
They raced to 1-62 at the end of the Powerplay and by the 8th over, they were already halfway to their target.
The Australian pair rapidly sapped the energy out of the pro-England crowd, but even the home fans had to applaud Litchfield’s stunning reverse sweep six off the bowling of spinner Linsey Smith.
Mooney’s fifty came off 38 balls as she enhanced her reputation as a big-game player; having hit 78no when Australia won the 2020 title at the MCG, and 74no in the 2023 final in Cape Town.
A late wobble saw Litchfield dismissed in the 13th over with 34 runs still required, and Mooney’s innings ended when she was trapped lbw by Ecclestone in the 16th, but it was scant consolation for England.
Their frustration shone through when Ecclestone thought she had Perry caught on 12 – with Australia at that point needing just seven runs off 22 balls – only for the third umpire to determine her fingers had not been sufficiently underneath the low catch.
Ecclestone was intercepted by vice-captain Dean as she went to remonstrate with the on-field umpires, but the decision was immaterial to the result, and an over later, Australia’s seventh title was sealed via five Ecclestone wides, with Perry and Ashleigh Gardner punching the air and running to embrace in the middle of the pitch.
The anticlimactic finish befitted a final that failed to live up to expectations as a contest, but it did nothing to dampen the joy of the Australians – written off as a fading power by some pundits heading into the tournament – as they completed their most dominant T20 World Cup campaign yet.
Earlier, after Molineux put England in to bat, Lucy Hamilton struck with her second delivery, claiming her first wicket of the tournament when Amy Jones, looking to drive, got a thick edge that flew to Voll at gully, departing for six.
The decision to hand the ball to Annabel Sutherland in the Powerplay then paid off, although perhaps not in the manner Australia intended.
Danni Wyatt-Hodge, the tournament’s leading run scorer, swung at a short, wide delivery from the Australia quick, and when the ball deflected off the edge of Mooney’s gloves, she leapt to her left to take it with the second grab.
Initially the umpire signalled a wide but Mooney was adamant Wyatt-Hodge got something on it and she was vindicated as UltraEdge showed the England opener had got a glove on it, sending the in-form batter on her way for eight.
Alice Capsey joined Sciver-Brunt to see England to 2-39 at the end of the powerplay, and while Capsey was aggressive hitting two fours and a six off one Gardner over, she was bowled by Molineux in the 10th.
Garth returned to the attack to secure the crucial wicket of Heather Knight, trapping her lbw for two, leaving England 4-70 after in the 11th.
Freya Kemp’s arrival in the middle added some much-needed impetus to the tailend of England’s innings, as she played the aggressor to Sciver-Brunt’s anchor.
Their 50-partnership came off 37 balls, and Sciver-Brunt brought up her second straight half-century since returning from a calf injury from 45 deliveries.
Australia were largely able to keep the England pair tied down despite not being able to break their 80-run stand. Kemp struck a booming six down the ground off Molineux in the final over, helping lift the total to 150 and ensuring Australia, at least, would need to pull off a record chase.
ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026
Australia squad: Sophie Molineux (c), Ashleigh Gardner (vc), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Nicola Carey, Kim Garth, Lucy Hamilton, Grace Harris, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham. Travelling reserve: Tahlia Wilson
Australia’s fixtures
June 13: beat South Africa by 65 runs
June 17: beat Bangladesh by nine wickets
June 20: beat Netherlands by 98 runs
June 24: beat Pakistan by 113 runs
June 28: beat India by six wickets
Semi-final 1: Australia beat West Indies by eight wickets
(Semi-final 2: England beat South Africa by 40 runs)
Final: Australia beat England by seven wickets
Click here for the full tournament schedule
All matches available to replay on Amazon’s Prime Video
