While runs have never been scored quicker at a women’s T20 World Cup, Australia’s bowlers, led by a rookie quick, are the hardest to get away
At the fastest scoring women’s T20 World Cup yet, Australia’s bowling attack are bucking the trend.
Six matches in and with a final against hosts England at Lord’s to come, the Aussie bowlers are the most economical outfit at the tournament, going for a combined 6.13 runs per over.
Runs have been scored at an average of 7.43 per over across the World Cup thus far – although Australia’s batters are also outperforming their rivals in this area, scoring at 9.52 runs per over – significantly quicker than the next fastest scoring tournament in 2023, when the average run rate was 6.9.
Rookie quick Lucy Hamilton is leading the charge. Despite being just five matches into her T20I career and taking the new ball when field restrictions are in place, the left-armer holds a tournament-leading economy rate of 4.45.
She is closely followed by leg-spinner Georgia Wareham (4.50) and all bar one of the eight bowlers Australia have used across their six matches are going at 6.85 or lower.
Annabel Sutherland, an outlier with an economy rate of 7.5, has most frequently been tasked with the difficult death overs.
The Australian attack have maintained a dot ball percentage of 51.9, ahead of second-ranked South Africa (50 per cent), with just 13.82 per cent of their deliveries being dispatched to the boundary – another tournament-leading statistic.
They have been particularly effective during the Powerplay, allowing their rivals to score at just 6.13 runs per over with just two fielders outside the ring.
Those efforts came to the fore against India at Lord’s, where Australia kept their rivals to 2-134 from the first 18 overs before Harmanpreet Kaur unleashed at the death
Speaking to reporters from London on Thursday, Australia coach Shelley Nitschke praised the defensive efforts of her bowlers.
“It’s probably just always the way we plan – how we’re going to get them out, but then also, where do we want to put our fielders to restrict them,” Nitschke said.
“We’re still looking to get teams out … we haven’t probably taken the wickets that we would have liked to take in the last couple of games, but at the same time we have been able to restrict that run rate.
“I think if you’re not going to take wickets, you definitely need to be able to do that.
“There’s a lot of work and planning that goes into that around different oppositions, and now we’re starting to be familiar with the conditions and players are really trusting their own game and their instinct when they’re out there as well.”
Hamilton, 20, had played just one T20I for Australia when she bolted into their 15-player World Cup squad, edging out the vastly more experienced Darcie Brown for a ticket to the United Kingdom.
The left-arm quick warmed the bench through Australia’s first two matches before making her tournament debut against 14th-ranked Netherlands, then backing up at Leeds three days later against Pakistan.
Her impressive efforts against two-lower ranked opponents were enough for selectors to then back her in against India’s superstar top-order at Lord’s.
Hamilton more than held her own against two of the most imposing players in world cricket, Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana, finishing with figures of 0-17 from her three overs.
A semi-final appearance against the West Indies followed, where the Queenslander was again tidy, going for 0-9 from her two.
A spot in the World Cup final now likely beckons, where Hamilton could go head-to-head with the tournament’s leading run scorer in Danni Wyatt-Hodge.
“She’s been super impressive, Luce,” Nitschke said.
“To come into that game against India and bowl in the Powerplay, and we know that the Powerplays is a big stage of the game for them and they come pretty hard, so to be able to have the composure and bowl like she did was excellent.
“And then again, in the semi, she’s got a pretty level head.
“She hasn’t taken the wickets she would have liked and deserved (but) she’s created a couple of opportunities, which has been really important.”
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: v England at Lord’s, London, July 5 (12:30am July 6 AEST)
Click here for the full tournament schedule
All matches will be broadcast on Amazon’s Prime Video
