Normal services has resumed in women’s international cricket. Australia are back. After losing in back-to-back semifinals, the Australian women’s team, led by a new captain in Sophie Molineux, has clinched a World Cup again.Powered by a magnificent half-century by experienced campaigner Beth Mooney (64, 49b, 10×4) and explosive young gun Phoebe Litchfield (48, 35b, 6×4, 2×6), and the duo’s blazing 100-run stand in just 67 balls for the second wicket, Australia romped to a thumping seven-wicket victory over England to clinch their record-extending seventh Women’s T20 World Cup title in a sold-out (28,887 spectators), but farcical, one-sided final at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground on Sunday. The title ended a two-year drought of World Cup trophies for the mighty Australian women’s cricket team, which lost to South Africa in the semis in the 2024 T20 World Cup, and then to India in the 2025 ODI World Cup semis at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.It was the first time that England lost a women’s World Cup at home, after winning on four previous occasions.Putting in an efficient show with the ball, Australia restricted a highly conservative England to just 150 for four after choosing to field first in the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup final-at least 20 runs short of a par total on a decent batting pitch and against the batting might of Australia.Leading from the front again, skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt followed up her match-winning half-century in the semis against South Africa with another solid fifty (58 not out, 53b, 5×4), as she added 80 in an unbeaten fifth-wicket partnership with 21-year-old Freya Kemp (44, 28b, 4×4, 1×6), who batted far more freely that her senior partner. Sciver-Brunt began with a cover drive for four off the first ball that she faced, off Hamilton, but then strangely chose to play the anchor’s role, leaving England with too little on the board. Just a week ago, Australia had chased down 171 against India -a record chase in Women’s T20 World Cups-without much fuss.Needing to chase down the highest total ever in a Women’s World Cup final, Australia lost the wicket of Georgia Voll (9), early in the piece, but Mooney, who has scored more than 200 runs in T20 World Cup finals but has been dismissed just once, and Litchfield took the attack to the bowlers, taking full advantage of the Powerplay overs, unlike England, who seemed intent on conserving wickets. It was a factor which ultimately made the difference between the two sides in the end, as the Aussies cruised home with 17 balls and seven wickets to spare.It was only due to Kemp’s enterprising strokeplay that England brought some much-needed urgency to their innings, collecting 45 off the last five overs.After choosing to field first, Australia kept the pressure almost right throughout the innings, as their bowlers did well to take the pace off the ball on a pitch on which scoring wasn’t easy. Preferred over leg-spinner Alana King once again, 20-year-old left-arm seamer Lucy Hamilton (1-19 in three overs) again repaid the faith in her, taking her maiden T20 World Cup wicket when she dismissed England ‘keeper-bat Amy Jones, who was well caught off a yorker outside off stump, by a diving Georgia Voll at backward point in the second over.Australia then enjoyed more success in the fifth over when in-form opener Danni Wyatt-Hodge, who became the first-ever batter to score 300 runs in a Women’s T20 World Cup and could’ve been dangerous, was superbly caught down the leg side by a diving ‘keeper Beth Mooney off Annabel Sutherland. It was originally given as a wide by Indian umpire Vrinda Rathi-the first woman umpire from her country to stand in a T20 Women’s World Cup final- but Mooney and England overturned the decision successfully with a brilliant review.
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England looked back on track when Sciver-Brunt and Alice Capsey (23, 20b, 2×4, 1×6) added 35 in 30 balls for the third wicket, but Capsey, looking good till that point, gave her wicket on platter as she missed a reverse-sweep off Australia captain and ace left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux (1-32 in four overs). England looked in trouble when they slipped to 70 for four in the 11th over as Heather Knight (2), who had put on a match-defining partnership of 133 for the fourth wicket with Nat-Sciver in the semifinals, was out lbw off a leg-cutter by seamer Kim Garth (one for 20 in four overs).
