The Australian women’s T20 cricket team claimed their fourth World T20 title after destroying England in their fifth straight final. After bowling England out for 105 in the 19th over Australia chased down the total with ease, winning by 8 wickets with 29 balls to spare.
Bowling first the Aussie women were typically stingy, restricting England to a 5.33 run rate – unacceptably low in the 20 over game. The English couldn’t stay in either, being bowled out with just to deliveries still to go.
Ellyse Perry became the first Australian, and second player, to take 100 international T20 wickets, while Megan Schutt and Georgia Wareham were the best bowlers, taking two wickets each with economy rates of 3.54 and 3.66 respectively. Delissa Kimmince was similarly parsimonious, leaking just 10 runs off her three overs but taking no wickets.
English opener Danielle Wyatt was the pick of their batsmen, scoring 43 and being the only batter with a strike rate over 100. She was joined by captain Heather Knight (25) to provide some resistance to the rampaging Australian bowlers, but it wasn’t enough.
The Australians overcame the loss of Alyssa Healy for her lowest score in the tournament (a respectable 22) to cruise to victory, scoring at 7 runs an over and only losing one other wicket, fellow opener Beth Mooney. Ashleigh Gardner and captain Meg Lanning brought the team home, scoring 33 and 28 (both not out) to take Australia to a comfortable victory.
Australia were the champions at the 2010, 12 and 14 tournaments, but lost in the final to the West Indies in 2016. This time around the team was clearly on a mission, and aside from a shock loss in the last pool game against India (with both teams already guaranteed to qualify for the finals) no other side really stretched them.
The Aussie girls really hit their stride in the finals, thrashing the West Indies by 70 runs to get revenge for the 2016 tournament and then doing a similar demolition job on England in the decider. This followed comfortable pool victories over New Zealand, Pakistan and Ireland. Healy was named player of the series, while Gardner (who took 3 wickets to go with her 33 not out) was player of the final.