Last Updated on 2 years by Tarkesh Jha
Australia won the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup for the sixth time on Sunday as they defeated their South African counterparts by 19 runs in the final at the Newlands Cricket Ground. Opener Beth Mooney top scored with an unbeaten 74 to take the Meg Lanning-led side to 156 at the end of 20 overs.
She found little support from the rest of the batters barring Ashleigh Gardner, who notched 29 off 21 deliveries batting at number three. Shabnim Ismail and Marizanne Kapp scalped a couple of wickets each for the Proteas as they rounded off a satisfactory first innings.
However, the pressure of the chase got to them in the second innings as they really struggled to get going and were left with over 100 to chase in the last 10 overs. Opener Laura Wolvaardt played a fine knock of 61 but she took 48 deliveries for the same as the South Africans lacked a definite aggressor who could help fetch them quick runs in the middle-overs.
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Seasoned South Africans fail to step up
The likes of Kapp and skipper Sune Luus flattered to deceive and there was little support for Wolvaardt from the lower-middle order comprising the likes of Nadine de Klerk, Anneke Bosch and Sinalo Jafta. Chloe Tryon scored 25 but took 23 deliveries for the same and that really didn’t do South Africa much of a favour especially when the required run rate was skyrocketing as the game progressed.
The frontline Australian bowlers really made the job difficult for the chasing team – with the trio of Meghan Schutt, Gardner and Darcie Brown maintaining an economy rate of 5.75, 5 and 6.25 in their respective four-over spells. They also notched a wicket each and were well-supported by Jess Jonassen who dismissed Tryon and conceded 21 in her three overs.
Mooney and Gardner were named as the Player of the Match and as the Player of the Tournament respectively.
