Beth Mooney, bowlers shine as Australia bag 6th T20 world title
The Australian team won their sixth Women’s T20 World Cup title with a deserving win in the final against South Africa on Sunday (February 26). Beth Mooney’s unbeaten 74 off 53 guided them to a challenging total of 156/6 but the hosts put in an admirable fight in their chase.
Laura Wolvaardt smashed her third consecutive fifty in the tournament but the Proteas fell 19 runs short in a heartbreaking loss. Meg Lanning won the toss and elected to bat first at Cape Town’s Newlands. Both teams remained unchanged from their respective thrilling wins in the semi-final fixtures.
Alyssa Healy gave Australia a good start but couldn’t convert it into a big knock as Marizanne Kapp gave the hosts an opening with her wicket in the fifth over. However, Mooney and the world no.1 all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner dominated the first 10 overs as the pair pulled off a quick 46-run partnership for the second wicket, with Gardner smashing 29 off 21.
South Africa give their best
However, South African bowlers made a good comeback in the middle overs to contain Australia from putting in mammoth total. Shabnim Ismail and Kapp took two wickets each while Nonkululeko Mlaba and Chloe Tryon bagged one each.
In-form duo of Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits struggled at the start with the latter scoring just 10 off 17. However, Wolvaardt kept the scorecard moving from another end even though South Africa kept losing wickets regularly at the other end. Mooney ran out captain Sune Luus on just two runs as South Africa were left 54/3 in 10.4 overs.
But Wolvaardt and Tryon formed a crucial 55-run partnership for the fourth wicket to balance the game. Wolvaardt smashed 61 off 48 and looked confident, however, Megan Schutt dismissed her in the 17th over to end South Africa’s hopes.
Jess Jonassen further killed the game with Tryon’s wicket in the next over as the Proteas managed to score just 137/6 in 20 overs. Wolvaardt’s fifty helped her top the scoring chart in the tournament with 230 runs in six innings while England’s Sophie Ecclestone topped the bowling chart with 11 wickets in five innings.
