Seventh heaven for Aussies: Australia chase record target to clinch seventh Women's T20 World Cup
Australia continued their dominance in women's T20 cricket, defeating England by seven wickets at Lord's in London on Sunday to win a record seventh ICC Women's T20 World Cup title.Chasing 151, the highest target ever set in a Women's T20 World Cup final, Australia reached 153/3 in 17.1 overs, finishing the job with 17 balls to spare.The chase was built around Beth Mooney, who made 64 off 49 balls with 10 fours, and Phoebe Litchfield, who scored 48 off 35 deliveries, hitting six fours and two sixes.Mooney and Litchfield supercharged the chase from the second over to the 13th in a 100-run partnership off 67 balls.Litchfield fell 34 runs from victory and Mooney was out 11 runs from the inevitable end after her third match-winning fifty in Australia's last three finals.England dismissed a well-set Mooney in 16th over, trapped lbw by Sophie Ecclestone, but Australia's batting depth meant there was no change in the result.
The winning runs came in unusual fashion when Ecclestone bowled five wides in the 18th over. Overseeing the winning runs in the middle with 17 balls to spare was another stalwart, Ellyse Perry, winning her seventh world T20 trophy.Earlier, England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt scored an unbeaten 58 off 53 balls, while Freya Kemp added an unbeaten 44 off 28 balls to help England post 150/4 after being asked to bat first.The pair rescued England with an 80-run partnership for the fifth wicket after the Australian bowlers kept the scoring under control for most of the innings.Sciver-Brunt hit five fours, while Kemp struck four boundaries and one six.Australia captain Sophie Molineux chose to bowl first, and her decision paid off as the bowling attack restricted England despite the absence of Perry, who did not bowl because of an injury.England managed only two sixes in their 20 overs, with one each coming from Alice Capsey and Kemp.Australia's spin attack, led by Molineux (1/32) and Georgia Wareham (0/9 in two overs), controlled the middle overs, while Kim Garth and Annabel Sutherland also kept the pressure on with disciplined bowling and changes of pace.Brief scores:England Women: 150/4 (20 overs)Australia Women: 153/3 (17.1 overs)Get the latest Sports News and Live updates.
Download the TOI app.