Australia won the Women’s T20 World Cup for the sixth time when they beat South Africa by 19 runs in the final at Newlands on Sunday.
Opening batter Beth Mooney anchored the Australian innings, scoring an unbeaten 74 in a total of 156 for six.
South Africa were never up with the required run rate and were restricted to 137 for six despite opener Laura Wolvaardt hitting 61 off 48 balls.
Wolvaardt and the hard-hitting Chloe Tryon gave a near-capacity crowd of about 15,000 hope with an attacking fourth wicket partnership of 55 off 37 balls but the match was effectively over when Wolvaardt was leg before wicket to Megan Schutt in the 17th over.
The left-handed Mooney played a measured innings, scoring her 74 runs off 53 balls while a succession of partners batted aggressively.
Ash Gardner and Grace Harris both batted ahead of captain Meg Lanning and appeared to be under instructions to go for their shots.
South Africa’s bowlers performed steadily and were backed up by enthusiastic fielding. Stalwarts Shabnim Ismail and Kapp both took two wickets each.
But Australia showed their quality in defending their total with athleticism and commitment that put the South African batters under constant pressure.
With the Southern Stars emerging triumphant yet again, we take a look at some of the records broken and some of the milestones achieved during the T20 World Cup final:
— Australia have now won a record-extending sixth T20 world title, completing a second T20 World Cup hat-trick (2018, 2020 and 2023) with this victory. England and West Indies, both of whom have one title each, are the only other sides to have won the tournament while India, South Africa and New Zealand have finished runners-up.
— With this victory, Meg Lanning now becomes the most successful captain in the history of cricket in terms of ICC trophies — having led the Aussies to four T20 World Cup triumphs along with last year’s ODI World Cup victory.
In last 3 Women’s T20 World Cups
Player of the Match in final:
2018 – Ashleigh Gardner
2020 – Alyssa Healy
2023 – Beth MooneyPlayer of the Tournament:
2018 – Alyssa Healy
2020 – Beth Mooney
2023 – Ashleigh GarnerThe same 3 players in both lists, in different order.
— Kausthub Gudipati (@kaustats) February 26, 2023
— With her unbeaten knock of 74, Australia opener Beth Mooney became the first batter ever to score a fifty in back-to-back T20 World Cup finals.
— Shabnim Ismail collected two wickets off consecutive deliveries in the final over of the Australia innings, going past Anya Shrubsole (41) to become the most successful bowler in the history of the T20 World Cup with 43 wickets to her name.
— Additionally, South Africa became the first team to lose a World Cup final — T20 or ODI — as the host nation.
With inputs from AFP
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