Mooney, Litchfield powers Australia to seventh T20 World Cup crown
When Australia didn't win both the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2025 ODI World Cup, the natural order of the women's game felt a little off for a while. Australia responded by demonstrating exactly why they are so feared as they entered the 2026 edition under new leadership, despite being stripped of their usual title of reigning champions. They won a record-extending seventh T20 World Cup title undefeated with a comfortable 151-run chase that was completed with seven wickets and 2.5 overs remaining. They also ended England's historic run of World Cup success on home soil and ended a string of bad luck at World Cups held in the UK dating back to 1993.
A disciplined bowling attack that drove England back on a surface where the ball gripped and behaved badly when Australia chose to bowl first laid the groundwork for the victory. Lucy Hamilton took her first T20 World Cup wicket for Australia early in the Powerplay, which led to the first run of the game. After a run-a-ball six, the young bowler enticing an edge to short third man extended Amy Jones' lean patch and sent her packing.
Nat Sciver-Brunt and Danni Wyatt-Hodge were forced to cautiously rebuild after England was heavily pinned back by the early breakthrough. In the fifth over, Sciver-Brunt briefly broke the shackles with two boundaries off Annabel Sutherland, but Sutherland came back with luck. She hit a short ball down the leg side and caught Wyatt-Hodge's bat's feather, resulting in Australia's dismissal after a successful review. England was limited to a tense 39 for 2 at the conclusion of the Powerplay thanks to Hamilton's continued challenge of the batters.
In order to keep the stumps in play, Australia added spin following the Powerplay. However, England experienced a significant release of pressure in the ninth over. Alice Capsey chose to take on Ash Gardner, an off-spinner, in a favorable matchup. She used her feet well to hit shots from a wide range. She struck a boundary to midwicket to bring up England's fifty, cleared wide long-on for a maximum, and hit a cover drive in a costly 16-run over. Sciver-Brunt was able to safely drop anchor at the other end thanks to this assault.
As the middle overs progressed, Australia quickly regained control. After burning a review on an LBW appeal, Sophie Molineux eventually struck out Capsey for a quick 23 runs off 20 pitches, missing a reverse sweep. Kim Garth removed the pace and caught Heather Knight squarely in front in the very next over, snapping a streak of three games without a wicket.
England found Freya Kemp to be their savior during a boundary drought that lasted for 20 deliveries. Kemp immediately joined Sciver-Brunt and provided the hosts with the aggressive impetus they so desperately needed. He was the aggressor in an unbeaten 80-run partnership in which England scored 57 runs off the final six overs. Sciver-Brunt led the way in the first inning, scoring her 20th fifty in Twenty20 Internationals, but she struggled to accelerate later. England reached a competitive total of 150, which at the time seemed far-fetched, thanks to Kemp's explosive, unbeaten 44 off just 28 deliveries.
With a blistering Powerplay, Australia effectively broke the back of the 151-run chase and raced off the field intently. Phoebe Litchfield and Beth Mooney orchestrated a devastating counterattack, scoring 62 for 1 in the first six overs to secure a comfortable victory despite the initial drama. Georgia Voll's frantic 11-ball cameo set the tone: she hit Lauren Bell for consecutive boundaries before under-edging onto her own stumps, overturned a LBW decision on review, survived a run-out call, and launched Charlie Dean's first ball for a boundary.
After Voll left, Mooney and Litchfield took full control. In just 67 balls, they put Australia in charge, scoring a magnificent 100 runs together. Litchfield ruthlessly targeted Dean's off-spin, sweeping her first ball to midwicket for four before lofting a stunning six over long-off. Mooney started the momentum by carving Bell for three boundaries in an over. The pair used the middle overs well, finding the boundary frequently to keep a blistering run rate of nearly 10.
The assault was insurmountable for the bowlers of England. Litchfield capitalized on a favorable matchup against left-arm spinner Linsey Smith by smacking her over the ropes for six right after Bell returned to the attack. Mooney reached her half-century off 38 deliveries, living up to her reputation as the ultimate big-match player. Although Dean finally broke the stubborn stand by cleaning up Litchfield at the end of the very same over, the breakthrough was too little, too late.
Ellyse Perry walked out to help, as Australia only needed 34 runs from the final seven overs. However, any hopes of an England comeback were ruthlessly crushed by the well-set Mooney. In an expensive 14th over, she upped the ante against Freya Kemp and defeated her for three boundaries, leaving no doubt about the outcome. Although Sophie Ecclestone did get the Australian opener out (a LBW not-out call that was changed after review), Australia won the match without too much fuss and won their first World Cup in England.
