Australia Women vs England Women Final Full Commentary

Welcome back for the chase. Nat Sciver-Brunt has her troops in a huddle, reinforcing the plans before her side takes the field. It will be the left-hand, right-hand combination of Beth Mooney and Georgia Voll to open the innings for Australia. Neither Lauren Bell nor Linsey Smith, but England are starting with Charlie Dean. Voll is on strike. Let's go...

... THE RUN CHASE ...

Looking ahead - Right then, 151 is what Australia need to clinch their seventh Women's T20 World Cup title. If they get over the line, it will be the highest successful chase in a Women's T20 World Cup final, eclipsing the previous record of 149, set by West Indies against Australia in the 2016 title clash. England's bowlers do have the advantage of knowing what worked for their Australian counterparts. Taking the pace off the ball proved highly effective on this surface, and expect England to lean heavily on those variations as they look to defend 150.

Kemp fueled the finish - England couldn't quite make the Powerplay count. In truth, Australia simply didn't allow them to, keeping things tight and removing both openers inside the first six overs. She did it in the semi-final against South Africa, and Nat Sciver-Brunt was at it again. She, like the rest of England's batters, had to battle the slowness of the surface, but held the innings together for her side. It was Freya Kemp who took the pressure off the England skipper, providing the injection of impetus her side desperately needed. In their 55-ball stand worth 80 runs, Kemp was the dominant partner, taking the attack to Australia and batting through to guide England to 150.

England end up with 150 - 45 runs came off the last 5 overs, and that has lifted England to a competitive total. Australia had their rivals in check for the most part, and one feels they would have taken this target at the start of the game.

Sophie Molineux has taken it upon herself to close out the innings. 3-0-19-1 so far for the Aussie skipper.

Ashleigh Gardner is back. She has gone for 24 runs in her two overs so far.

Over and out from London - And breathe. Australia are the deserved World T20 Champions for the seventh time. They have proved once again that they are the gold standard in women's cricket. Heartbreak for England on home soil. No Red Roses or Lionesses moment for this England side, even with the stage perfectly set for it. And with that, the tenth edition of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup draws to a close. It's been quite the ride, packed with memories and iconic moments across more than three weeks. Hope you all enjoyed the coverage along the way. It is time to sign off from here. But there is plenty of cricketing action going on elsewhere in different parts of the world for you all to enjoy. Cheers!

And now, the moment every Australian has been waiting for. Sophie Molineux walks up to the stage and receives the T20 World Cup trophy from the ICC Chairman, Jay Shah. The stage is instantly flooded as the rest of the Australian squad rushes in to join their skipper, and up goes the confetti and champagne to complete the celebrations. Proud faces all around, some with tears of joy, others simply living out the dream they once chased as kids, and a few who have lived this very moment more than once before. All the players now make their way to the CHAMPIONS board to pose for photographs with the iconic Lord's pavilion gracing the background. They now take a lap of thanks to thank all the supporters who turned up in big numbers to cheer them on.

The victorious captain of Australia Women - Sophie Molineux walks up for a chat with Isa Guha. She says it feels too good to be true, and with her dad in the stands, she calls it an extra special day. When asked what it took to get here, she points to a lot of thought, effort and hard work, along with a group of players willing to do anything for one another, something she calls invaluable. She singles out Perry for calming the team down after the first innings and praises Lucy Hamilton for her composure and clarity under pressure. She says it all comes down to trusting each other and trusting the processes they have built. Also recalls a few moments across recent World Cups where they found themselves on the back foot. Mentions that a lot of work went into leading up to this tournament, she says, and she's delighted to see it pay off with the win. She adds that in tournament cricket, you need to hold onto the same mentality throughout. Speaking about Perry, she showers praise on her, calling her incredible and pointing not just to what she brings on the field but to her nature and presence within the group, labelling her an absolute legend of the game who deserves every bit of success and has earned herself a special place with the number of World Cups now in her collection. She congratulates England on the brand of cricket they have played through the tournament, saying they have inspired a generation. She thanks her family and friends who travelled over, calling them special, and extends her gratitude to the support staff for the long hours and hard work behind the scenes. She also thanks the fans for turning up for every match and everyone working behind the scenes, calling it an absolute pleasure to be part of. She ends by telling her teammates how proud she is of them and thanking them for being willing to go on this journey together, adding that everyone involved should be proud of what they have achieved.

Now then, the newly crowned World Champions, Australia, make their way up to the stage to collect their winner's medals and mementoes. Nicola Carey starts the sequence, which ends with captain Sophie Molineux collecting hers with a broad smile on her face.

The captain of England Women - Nat Sciver-Brunt walks up for a chat and reflects on the defeat. She says she is standing there, hugely disappointed. She reflects on what had been a fantastic tournament for England but admits it is hard to accept the way it ended. Sciver-Brunt concedes that her side was outplayed by a class Australian team, adding that they used all their experience to produce a clinical performance in the final. Admits 150 was below par on that surface, adding that it felt difficult to build momentum throughout the innings and that she was scratching around trying to find the middle of the bat. She credits Australia's bowlers for consistently hitting the right areas and making scoring difficult. On the defence of the total, Sciver-Brunt says England tried to start with intent and hunt for early wickets, but Beth Mooney played a brilliant innings. Feels like they, as a side, have so much to be proud of after all the work they put in before the tournament. She praises the energy within the group, reflects on the brilliant cricket they played throughout the campaign, and describes it as a squad that genuinely cares for one another. As she thanks the crowd, Sciver-Brunt becomes visibly emotional, and her voice cracks as she says it is a privilege to represent her country and that she is incredibly grateful for the support.

Next up, the England players are called forward in sequence to collect their runners-up medals, starting with Alice Capsey. Captain Nat Sciver-Brunt is the last one to collect hers.

Australian former international cricketer, Mel Jones, is given the honour of placing the trophy on the plinth. She does so with grace and care. The match officials are now called forward to collect their mementoes.

... Time for the post-match Presentation ...

Mooney's words ring true again - Back in February 2023, after Australia claimed the T20 World Cup title at Newlands, Beth Mooney was asked what advice she'd offer a team looking to beat her side. She paused for a moment before quipping that teams should simply not turn up, since it's too hard and not worth the trouble. Naturally, teams kept turning up anyway. South Africa got the better of Australia in the 2024 semi-final, and India pulled off a similar upset in last year's 50-over World Cup final chase. Yet, arriving at this tournament without either of the two white-ball world titles, Australia seemed completely unfazed by the weight of expectation. And they did so in some fashion, by executing the highest successful run chase in a Women's T20 World Cup final.

What went wrong for England? England should be proud of the journey that's brought them this far, but days like this show exactly what it takes to beat this Australian juggernaut. You need to be extra special to live with them, and England, quite simply, fell well short today. They looked timid with the bat when it mattered most, and against a side of this quality and depth, timid is never going to be enough. On another surface, against most other sides, 150 might have passed for a fair score. But against this Australian batting line-up, it was always going to fall short. A few England players couldn't hold back the tears, with the Australians stepping in to console them, a lovely gesture of sportsmanship in the middle of their own celebrations. It, of course, stings to come this close to glory only to see it slip away. And this defeat carries extra weight given it's England Women's first ever loss in a home World Cup final.

Made it look like a stroll in the park - It almost seemed like Australia were batting on a different pitch altogether. England could only manage 39 for 2 at the end of the Powerplay and crawled to 68 in their first ten overs. Australia, in stark contrast, already raced to 55 inside the first six. They did lose Voll cheaply up top, but Mooney and Litchfield hit back hard with a brilliant counterattack. England were put under serious pressure and never allowed to settle into their lines and lengths. The two left-handers kept landing blow after blow, punching hard into the heart of England. The game was virtually killed at the halfway stage as Australia knocked off more than half the runs without breaking a sweat. Mooney notched up a superb half century, her 9th in the T20 World Cups, joining the club with Sciver-Brunt, who achieved the feat earlier in the evening. England did manage to get a couple of wickets, including Mooney and Litchfield, but it was too late by then. Perry survived a few close calls but ensured to get the job done in the end.

The captain to the rescue - Australia had England in all sorts as they reduced their oldest rivals to 70/4, with the likes of in-form Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Heather Knight dismissed cheaply. Capsey did try to up the ante, but her stay was cut short by Molineux. The captain, Nat Sciver-Brunt, decided to drop anchor and played a fine knock to bring up her 9th T20 World Cup fifty. Freya Kemp gave her a much-needed boost from the other end in their 80-run partnership. That injection of intent from Kemp in the climax helped them reach 150. Australia were on the money from start to finish, though. They dished out the variations and executed them nicely on a slowish Lord's pitch. They couldn't pick wickets in the last nine overs or so, but they bowled to their field and were helped by their fielders and gave very little away.

Time for the closing ceremony - The evening gets a big musical boost with popular band Clean Bandit in the house at Lord's, ready to cap off the day in style. As they get the crowd going with their playlist to close out the evening, let's take a quick look back at how the final unfolded.

PLAYER OF THE FINAL - BETH MOONEY is also adjudged as the PLAYER OF THE TOURNAMENT for her outstanding contributions with the bat throughout the World Cup. 64 runs off 49 balls for Mooney in the final to finish the tournament with 238 runs from 7 innings. Beth says she is just happy to be there and reflects on Australia's recent ICC finals, admitting it has been well documented that they missed out in the last two tournament finals. She says she woke up determined to make the most of the opportunity. Admits she was a little rusty with the gloves early on but says she had plenty of help from those around her. Adds that she is more than happy to stand up to the stumps whenever the bowlers want her to. On the chase, Mooney says it was really important to settle the dugout during the Powerplay and ensure the team got ahead of the game early. Mooney says she is grateful to be part of the squad and to have played her role in the campaign. She believes the group has evolved significantly over the last 12 months and is delighted they have been able to cap that progress with a World Cup triumph. She says the team has played with conviction and freedom, backed each other with bravery, and received tremendous support from the coaching and medical staff throughout the tournament. Beth also thanks the fans, saying the squad has felt the love both in England and from everyone back home. Speaking about captain Sophie Molineux, Mooney says she remained calm and composed throughout the tournament and never looked flustered. She adds that Molineux has put her own stamp on the captaincy, and the entire squad has rallied around her.

And at last, the legend speaks - Ellyse Perry calls it a special win, with the occasion carrying a huge volume that made it all the more meaningful. She calls it a really amazing performance from the group and is delighted that Sophie has led the side to a first World Cup win as captain. When asked what keeps her going, she points to the group itself, calling them amazing people, while admitting there were challenges and areas to work on along the way, with the team always looking to push its game to a new level. She says having people come out to watch them play has been a privilege in itself. On her message for young girls dreaming of playing the sport, she says it applies just as much to young boys, calling it a lovely shift over the last few years that it's now seen as normal for women to play the game. She adds that parents bringing their kids along and the wider public turning up to support make the whole thing truly special.

A quick word from the Aussie opener - Georgia Voll says she is pretty excited and describes it as a great campaign, adding that the team is pumped to finish it off in such style. She praises Phoebe Litchfield for taking the game away from England with her attacking approach and says Beth Mooney dominated from the very first ball. Voll adds that it was a clinical win in the end. Looking ahead to the celebrations, she jokes that she does not know much about Clean Bandit but will happily dance along. She says the lead-up over the last couple of months, followed by topping it off with a World Cup triumph, has left the entire squad delighted.

Let's hear from Phoebe Litchfield - Begins by saying that winning a World Cup feels so special, adding that she is very happy with a clinical performance from the group. On playing fearless cricket, she says that's the way to go about it in the T20 format, with the team focused on chipping the required rate down to six. She heaps praise on Mooney for making it look easy and says contributing to a World Cup win is a special feeling in itself. Asked who will lead the celebrations tonight, she reckons it will be skipper Sophie Molineux driving things, before giving a big shoutout to the Aussie fans in the stadium, saying she heard plenty of Aussie Aussie chants ring out. She signs off by thanking them for coming.

Coach's word - Shelly Nitschke says she is pretty stoked and describes it as a terrific effort from the group. She adds that you never quite know what will happen when you come into a final, but the team continues to deliver when it matters. Asked if there is a secret sauce behind Australia's success, Nitschke says the team prides itself on maintaining high standards, closing out games, and being consistent. Shelly is also pleased to see Lucy Hamilton settle in so well, both on and off the field, and says it has been great to watch her grow within the team. On the celebrations, she says the players can celebrate however they want because they have earned that right.

Who is with Kass Naidoo? Lucy Hamilton, it is. She starts by saying that the feeling is unbelievable and hard to put into words, adding that the team was pumped up for the occasion. On picking up her first-ever T20 World Cup wicket, she says it felt great, adding that getting it at an occasion like Lord's made it extra special. Asked how the celebrations will look tonight, she says it was lovely to have her family come over and that having them around makes it even nicer, with the whole group set to enjoy themselves and celebrate hard.

First up, it is Annabel Sutherland for a chat with Ebony Rainford-Brent. She says the feeling is pretty surreal and admits she is lost for words. She describes it as a pretty cool feeling and says there is no better place than Lord's to win a World Cup. Sutherland adds that Australia's success has come from different players standing up at different times rather than relying on one individual. Sutherland praises the bowling effort as exceptional and says the batters were solid in the chase. She also hails the atmosphere, saying an occasion like this deserved a crowd of that size.

Let's hear it from the Aussie players who are up for flash interviews with the broadcasters...

Seventh heaven for the undisputed queens - Death, taxes, and the Australian women’s cricket team winning the World Cups are a genuine reality now. Any whispers of this dynasty fading have been emphatically silenced on the grandest stage of all. By conquering England at Lord's, Australia have etched yet another golden chapter into their unprecedented history, lifting the T20 World Cup for a staggering seventh time. From the inaugural triumph under Alex Blackwell in 2010 and Jodie Fields' defence in 2012, through the unrelenting Meg Lanning era of 2014, 2018, 2020, and 2023, the legacy of dominance has been passed down seamlessly. Now, under the new leadership of Sophie Molineux, the antipodean stronghold remains unbroken. The golden era continues as the cricketing world is once again painted green and gold. AUSTRALIA ARE THE CHAMPIONS OF THE WOMEN'S T20 WORLD CUP 2026.

This could well be the last over of the World Cup. Australia Women need 5 runs from 18 balls. Sophie Ecclestone (3-0-17-1) will bowl out.

Is that a clean catch by Sophie Ecclestone? The on-field umpires want to be doubly sure about the legality of the catch. Her fingers seem to be cleanly underneath the ball. Another angle shows that it is not that straightforward, though. But after several checks, it is deemed that the ball was grassed. NOT OUT loads on the giant screen. Sophie Ecclestone cannot believe it. England cannot believe it. Nat Sciver-Brunt walks to the umpire to have a chat. Ecclestone is fuming, but Dean intervenes to calm things down.