womens t20 world cup – Artifex.News

Mooney the smartest I have played with, says Molineux

admin — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 18:31:00 +0000

Australia’s Beth Mooney in action at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 Final England vs Australia at the Lord’s Cricket Ground, London, Britain – July 5, 2026
| Photo Credit: Action Images via Reuters

In a team of so many superstars, Beth Mooney may not have got her due often enough. But, she keeps delivering. The bigger the occasion, the better.

She was named the Player of the Match in Sunday’s final of the Women’s T20 World Cup at Lord’s. She was also named the Player of the Tournament.

And she has done it before. She was the best player of the final at the 2023 T20 World Cup in South Africa. She was the best player of the T20 World Cup that Australia won at home.

During those World Cups, Mooney could focus solely on her batting, as her opening partner Alyssa Healy had kept wicket. After the captain’s retirement, Mooney has been donning the keeping gloves, and has been more than effective.

That she is an astute reader of the game helps. “She is probably the smartest cricketer I have ever played with,” Australian skipper Sophie Molineux said. “The way she can sum up situations and be able to grind out innings at the same time. She has got all the shots and is able to play freely. She has got nerves of steel.”

The captain said Mooney was the leader in the group. “Girls listen when she speaks,” said Molineux. “She is the backbone to our batting group. Her behind the stumps was just next level in the final.”

Mooney, however, reacted to those words from her captain thus: “It is a great compliment from Soph, but I think I’m a little bit of a fraud,” she said. “I might be much better if I started looking at the analyst packs and worked out where the bowlers were bowling at me. I just enjoy the contest, enjoy getting better and evolving my game and enjoy contributing to team success, whatever team that is.”

Any team is lucky to have Mooney.

Published – July 07, 2026 02:00 am IST

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Dominant Australia proves to be in a league of its own

admin — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 14:29:00 +0000

The Australia team celebrate with the trophy after winning the Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup final between England and Australia in London on July 5, 2026.
| Photo Credit: AP

England is gorgeously, soothingly green.

Trees, parks, meadows, vast farmlands that never seem to end. You won’t want to take your eyes off the side-view, be it you are travelling on the road or on the rail. Hardly surprising then that this country has produced the likes of Wordsworth, Keats and Coleridge.

There has, however, been a terrible heatwave that could have given a run to Chennai for its money. And it could be pretty warm over the next one week, too. But it still may not be hotter than the form Australia showed right through the Women’s T20 World Cup, which came to a predictable end in front of a full house at Lord’s on Sunday (July 5, 2026).

They had called it the most open World Cup yet. England, New Zealand, South Africa and India began as genuine contenders, yes. But once the tournament started, and once those magnificent Australian women, sporting green instead of the usual yellow, stepped on to the field and steamrolled the opposition, it became more and more obvious that they were playing their cricket on a different level than the rest.

England seemed the team best equipped to challenge them. The host had a sharp attack, predominantly spin but there was also the pace of Lauren Bell, the top-order led by Danni Wyatt-Hodge was firing, and even a less than fully fit captain Nat Sciver-Brunt was always ready to come up with a superwoman effort.

But, England was only second best. The Australians showed that in no uncertain terms in the final. When they reduced England to 150 for four, it was virtually the game over: even a target of over 200 wouldn’t have been beyond the reach of a powerful batting line-up that was almost as endless as the farmlands in England.

It was Beth Mooney, after a spectacular show behind the stumps, that led the chase. Ellyse Perry, Ashleigh Gardner and Mooney are players who were also parts of an even greater Australian side that had women like Meg Lanning and Alyssa Healy. Make no mistake, Sophie Molinuex’s side too is a great one, and youngsters like Phoebe Litchfield and Georgia Voll have made the transition look as if there was no transition at all, just a change of personnel.

That meant the Aussies were never stretched in the seven games they played at the World Cup. India in the last group match, gave them at least 171 to chase, which was accomplished with just one over to spare. That is what the scoreboard would tell you; Australia, thanks to a remarkable Perry-Gardner partnership, had already taken control of the match long before.

It was, of course, a huge disappointment for Harmanpreet Kaur’s women after their historic triumph at the ODI World Cup at home, but this team has some glaring weaknesses and depends too much on a few players. Scotland, Ireland and the Netherlands, justified the World Cup’s expansion.

And there were record-breaking attendances, in spite of England’s huge interest at the football World Cup across the pond.

Published – July 06, 2026 07:59 pm IST

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Women’s T20 World Cup: Skipper Sciver-Brunt’s knock takes England into the final

admin — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 21:56:00 +0000

England’s Natalie Sciver-Brunt plays a shot during the Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup semifinal match between England and South Africa in London on July 2, 2026.
| Photo Credit: AP

Not many women have stands or gates named after them. Nat Sciver-Brunt has one.

That is right here at the Oval, where she came up with a captain’s knock (75, 47b, 11×4, 1×6) on Thursday (July 2, 2026) to take England first out of deep trouble against South Africa and then into the final of the Women’s T20 World Cup.

The Proteas, chasing 170, could only manage 129 for eight.

This was Sciver-Brunt’s first match in the tournament after retiring hurt against Ireland a couple of weeks ago. That the Englishwomen didn’t miss her batting is creditable no doubt, but on Thursday (July 2, 2026), they needed all her class and experience. And she didn’t let them down.

With England reeling at 23 for three, a result of some fine bowing up front by Marizanne Kapp and Shabnim Ismail, Sciver-Brunt needed someone to stay with her and steady the ship. There could not have been a better partner than Heather Knight to drop anchor.

Knight (58, 47b, 6×4, 1×6) and Sciver-Brunt put on 133 for the fourth wicket to ensure their team had enough runs for their bowlers to have a go at the Proteas.

Earlier, Ismail had Amy Jones trying hard to smash the first ball of the second over – it was wide and short — and slashing it straight to Annerie Dercksen at point. Then Danni Wyatt-Hodge, the tournament’s leading batter, was bowled through the gate by Kapp.

In the very next over, Ismail moved the ball beautifully back to trap Alice Capsey in front. The stage was set for England’s Captain Fantastic and she took charge.

For the Proteas, the chase got off well, with skipper Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits adding 43 in just over five overs. Once the skipper fell to a superb catch by Sophie Ecclestone off Linsey Smith, the South African innings fell apart.

Only Brits (51, 45b, 6×4) manage to get past 20. That was the miserable tale for South Africa.

Published – July 03, 2026 03:25 am IST

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Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner — linchpins of an imperious Aussie machine

admin — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 19:12:00 +0000

When Radha Yadav ran towards the chance offered by Beth Mooney at long-on, there was tension in the air at Lord’s. Under normal circumstances, you would expect Radha to take the catch with ease; she has taken much tougher, more spectacular ones all through her career. She is one of the best fielders in women’s cricket.

But at the Women’s T20 World Cup, she had been going through a terrible time. She was just failing to catch. It looked like she was incapable of even catching a cold. The 26-year-old did catch Mooney, though. And she was relieved and happy, she threw the ball down furiously.

The Women in Blue celebrated. They had posted what appeared to be a competitive total of 170 for four, thanks largely to skipper Harmanpreet Kaur’s brilliant shot-making towards the end. But for her 27-ball 56, Australia would have finished off the match well ahead of schedule.

When Deepti Sharma accounted for Mooney, the Australian scorecard read 68 for three in 9.1 overs. Another 103 runs were still required in less than 11 overs. The Indian players, and the large crowd that came to cheer them on, had reasons to hope.

The one that took it away

Watching Mooney depart was her long-time teammate Ellyse Perry. She was joined by Ashleigh Gardner. Together, they ended India’s hopes of reaching the semifinals.

Gardner feels that her performance against India was a morale-booster.

They forged what was one of the best partnerships you would come across at this level. There was still plenty of batting left for Australia — no team bats as deep as it — but they were determined to finish the job themselves. If one of them had been dismissed, India would have been back in the game. They did not get out until the match was decided. When Perry finally fell, skying a catch to Shafali Verma off the impressive Shree Charani, Australia needed just three to win.

Perry and Gardner showed yet again how crucial they are in a side filled with match-winners. This may be a team in transition, after the retirements of Meg Lanning and Alyssa Healy, but it remains well ahead of main rivals like England and India, especially in the shortest format.

In the semifinal against the West Indies at the Oval on Wednesday, Perry had to go back to the dressing room after playing just seven balls, retired hurt. But it was just a precaution, Mooney would later clarify. Gardner had another starring role. She made an unbeaten 35 off 20 balls to help Australia finish the chase of a very modest total with seven overs to spare.

Back in the groove

She had been amongst the wickets, too. That is good news for Australia ahead of Sunday’s final at Lord’s. Gardner is glad to have got her bowling rhythm back.

“I feel like I probably haven’t had the impact that I would have liked, especially with the ball,” she said shortly after winning the Player-of-the-Match award in the last-four clash. “I’ve probably just been a little bit inconsistent. When Sophie (Molineux) has thrown me the ball, I probably haven’t played the role that she has probably wanted.”

But Gardner delivered against the West Indies, taking two for 13. “In this game, I had that type of performance, certainly when it mattered,” she said. “It is always really pleasing. I guess that it gives me a lot of confidence going forward.”

Gardner delivered a Player-of-the-Match performance in the semifinal.

Shift in mindset

The 29-year-old said it was more of a mindset thing. “I feel like I just tried to make my game really simple. I focused on looking at the stumps when I was bowling. That sounds really silly, but when I was narrowing my focus, I could execute a little better. We knew that keeping the stumps in play for a long period of time, just with the variability in the bounce, really helped.”

Gardner felt that her performance against India was a morale-booster. “Cricket is a very humbling sport at times, but you try to ride that confidence to really utilise it,” she said. “Cricket is such a unique game where you can feel like you are hitting the ball well but then you make no runs. So I guess it is about trying to take out the positives that you can.”

Looking back at Australia’s convincing win over India, Gardner said she enjoyed the 100-run partnership with Perry. “That was one of the best partnerships I have been involved in. There are not too many other people within this unit that I have played so much cricket with. I have played with Perry for well over 10 years now, so we have a great understanding of each other’s game.”

Blindly trusting each other

Both had tremendous trust in each other. “We were really specific and deliberate in the way we were speaking in the middle,” she said. “Understanding each other and giving each other options out there… to have that is pretty cool.”

Perry and Gardner have been vital cogs in the Australian wheel.
| Photo Credit:
Getty Images

Perry relished that alliance just as much. “It was a really enjoyable partnership with Ash,” said the woman regarded by many as the greatest female cricketer of all time. “Having had the opportunity to watch the way the first innings played out, we knew that it was sort of possible to accelerate through the middle and back end.”

She was all praise for Gardner’s approach. “The way Ash came out was really important in the context of the game. I thought that she shifted the momentum beautifully. We spoke a lot about targeting the first couple of balls of an over, and she did that incredibly well. It just gave us some momentum in the chase. On a good ground, once you get that, you sort of put yourself in a good position. So, it was a lot of fun.”

Gardner was as effusive in the praise of Perry. “She is like red wine,” Gardner said. “She is someone who has gotten better and better. Just the evolution of her game.. she has known that the global game has gone at such a fast pace and that it doesn’t settle or slow down for anyone. So she knows that she needs to keep up with that pace.”

Gardner admires Perry’s bravery. “It can be quite hard at times when you feel like you don’t have that confidence, but she is someone who always tries to take the game on. For someone with so much experience and so much willingness to keep evolving, it just shows younger players like me that there is no real ceiling on that stuff. She is a fantastic leader within our group, within that space, and generally as well.”

Unique in their own way

While Perry is at the top of her game more often than not, she stressed that every tournament had its own challenges. “This one has been extremely enjoyable and the quality of cricket that has been played right across the competition… the response from the English public to watch the matches has been amazing, too,” she said. “The atmosphere at various grounds has been so cool to play at. Beating India was a real highlight.”

Perry described skipper Molineux as “unique”. “Every captain I play with is unique, but Soph brings a very unique style,” Perry said. “She is such a people’s person. She makes everyone laugh. She knows when to have fun, when to be serious.

“She makes sure that they are heard all the time and are valued for their contribution to the group. I hope that kind of comes across in the way we are playing because it’s been so much fun. It doesn’t guarantee you anything but when you are playing with that kind of enjoyment, it creates an opportunity for a team to do some really good things.”

The two brave women are now ready for the final. They will go into that match at Lord’s with impressive numbers.

Perry has 2,482 T20I runs and 131 wickets, while Gardner, who has played lesser games, has 1,630 runs and 84 wickets.

It is to be recalled that Australia hasn’t won an ICC event since 2023. “Not having any trophies in the cabinet has probably been frustrating over the last 18 months,” Gardner said.

“It is really pleasing that going forward we can take the confidence out of what we have done. Hopefully, we win another trophy on Sunday”.

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South Africa has its task cut out against England

admin — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 16:54:00 +0000

The return of skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt from injury – she hasn’t played since returning hurt during England’s second match, against Ireland a fortnight ago – could make life even more difficult to the South African bowlers. File: Action Images via Reuters

They have looked good, this England team.

They have, in fact, looked good enough to pose a real challenge to Australia. Something nobody had has really managed to do at this T20 Women’s World Cup.

And it cannot get better much bigger than a final between the two bitter Ashes rivals at Lord’s on Sunday. But, for the host, there is this small matter of getting past South Africa in Thursday’s semifinal at the Oval.

And South Africa is one side that has caused problems for the English women at ICC events. True, the Proteas haven’t been as dominant in their campaign as their rival, but their captain, Laura Wolvaardt, who had hit a hundred and three half-centuries against India in a T20I series only a few months ago, is due for a big knock.

And there is also that lionhearted all-rounder Marizanne Kapp, who could influence a game, with both and ball, as she showed against India in that virtual quarterfinal in the Group of Death.

Kapp forms part of a formidable South African pace attack spearheaded by Shabnim Ismail. But they will be up against a powerful England batting line-up, in which Danni Wyatt-Hodge has run into some ominous form, having notched up scores like 105 not out, 89 not out and 65. With 282 runs, at an average of 94 and strike-rate of 153.26, she is the tournament’s leading scorer by a mile.

Sophie Ecclestone, Linsey Smith and Charlie Dean form a formidable trio. And Lauren Bell ensures it is not just all about spin.

Published – July 01, 2026 10:24 pm IST

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Women’s T20 World Cup: England thrash New Zealand to knock champions out

admin — Sun, 28 Jun 2026 06:17:00 +0000

New Zealand’s Sophie Devine in action during the England v New Zealand match at Kia Oval, London, Britain on June 27, 2026. Photo: Action Images via Reuters.

England hammered New Zealand by nine wickets on Saturday (June 28, 2026) to end the defending champions’ involvement at this year’s Women’s T20 World Cup.

New Zealand knew they had to beat England, already into the semi-finals, to reach the knockout phase after being handed a lifeline by Ireland ending their long wait for a T20 World Cup win with victory over the West Indies earlier in the day.

England made light of a target of 163 by equalling the highest successful run chase in Women’s T20 World Cup history with 16 balls to spare at the Oval.

Danni Wyatt-Hodge (89 not out) and Sophia Dunkley (49 not out) shared a partnership of 128 as tournament hosts England made it five wins out of five at this edition.

The line-up for next week’s semi-finals will be confirmed following the outcome of Sunday’s (June 28, 2026) heavyweight Group A clash between Australia and India.

But England’s win saw the West Indies into the last four as Group B runners-up.

It also signalled the end of New Zealand greats Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates and Lea Tahuhu’s international careers after the trio had previously announced they would retire after the World Cup.

Wyatt-Hodge set a new record for most runs at a single Women’s T20 World Cup, her current tally of 282 surpassing the 219 posted by Australia’s Beth Mooney in 2020.

“T20 cricket can be fickle, you’ve got to start again every time but I knew it was a beauty of a pitch and I loved batting out there with Dunks,” Wyatt-Hodge, 35, told the BBC.

Devine, 36, could only manage 30 on Saturday (June 27, 2026) and the 38-year-old Bates was run out for 19 in a total of 163-6, while Tahuhu’s 2.2 wicketless overs cost 22 runs.

“I came into this side as a kid and the three of them mentored me, and taught me so much,” said New Zealand captain Melie Kerr. “I feel very grateful to have had so much time with them.”

In Bristol, Ireland beat West Indies — the 2016 champions — by six wickets as they finally won a T20 World Cup match.

Ireland had lost all 21 of their previous games over five T20 World Cups but went into this match buoyed by a first win over 2016 champions the West Indies when the teams last met in Dublin earlier this month.

After Ireland restricted the West Indies to 128-7, Orla Prendergast led the chase with a superb 63 off 44 balls before Rebecca Stokell’s unbeaten 16 saw them home.

“There’s so much relief to finally have that win and so much happiness,” Prendergast, the player of the match, told Sky Sports.

Victory capped a memorable weekend for Ireland after the men’s side beat T20 world champions India in the first of a two-match series in Belfast on Friday (June 26, 2026) — their first win over the cricket superpower in any format.

Published – June 28, 2026 11:47 am IST

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We want to play aggressively against the Aussies: Smriti

admin — Sat, 27 Jun 2026 17:26:00 +0000

Smriti Mandhana in action during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup match between India and South Africa, at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester, England, Sunday June 21, 2026.
| Photo Credit: AP

When Smriti Mandhana has a bad day, which isn’t that often fortunately for Indian women’s cricket, she goes back to videos of Matthew Hayden and Kumar Sangakkara. So when she got an opportunity the other day to talk to the former Australian opener, she took advantage of that.

“When I saw him doing the commentary, I got excited,” Smriti said ahead of India’s T20 World Cup match against Australia. “We had a good chat and I wanted to know a few things about things like the grip. I wasn’t sure about talking with him before a game against Australia, but he was really kind and sweet. He shared a lot of things, which I hope I can apply to my batting.”

Smriti said it was Indeed a big match for India against Australia. “We have all spoken a lot about how we really want to be playing the aggressive brand of cricket and that is something which we will all look to do tomorrow,” she said. “Everyone is itching to go.”

Smriti is glad that her opening partnership with Shafali Verma is rocking again, after a bit of wobble. “We had a very quiet series in the England series (before the World Cup) but we both were really pumped up to get back to giving the good starts for India because whenever we lay the foundation, more or less, we are in a good place. I am really happy with the way she is striking the ball.”

She is also glad to see some nice things Shafali has been doing with the ball of late. “She has been amazing,” Smriti said. “She did that in the World Cup final for sure, then a little bit in WPL as well. I remember her getting a player of the match for her bowling in WPL. It is very handy to have her as a bowler.”

Meanwhile, Australian captain Sophie Molineux said, I suppose we are in a bit of a different situation to India. We still need to win, we know that there is a bit of pressure on them, we hopefully can double down on that and put pressure on them.”

Published – June 27, 2026 10:56 pm IST

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Women’s T20 World Cup | England storms into semifinals at sweltering Lord’s

admin — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 23:39:00 +0000

England’s Alice Capsey and Danni Wyatt-Hodge run between the wickets on June 24, 2026. Photo: Action Images via Reuters

Host England was first into the Women’s Twenty20 World Cup semifinals with a group match to spare after beating the West Indies by 38 runs at sweltering Lord’s on Wednesday (June 24, 2026).

Both former one-time champions came to the matchup unbeaten, and Danni Wyatt-Hodge batted England out of reach with 65 off 42 balls. Wyatt-Hodge is the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 193, averaging 65.

The West Indies can still advance if it beats winless Ireland in its last group match on Saturday (June 27, 2026).

On the hottest June day on record in Britain the evening game started at 35 degrees C and an air temperature of 41 C, and England made an impressive 186-7, the highest women’s T20 total at Lord’s and the second highest by a men’s or women’s side.

No team has chased down 187 at a World Cup and West Indies was limited to 148-5. The required run rate was at 10 after only two overs and after 69-4 in the 11th over the team appeared to have no interest in attacking the target despite a sloppy fielding effort by England.

Wyatt-Hodge, who launched the tournament two weeks ago with a century against Sri Lanka, smacked a 32-ball fifty. She should have been run out on 58 and caught on 59 and was finally run out on 65 by partner Heather Knight. She hit eight boundaries.

“I’m happy it was my night tonight,” Wyatt-Hodge said. “That was the hottest I’ve played in here in England. Felt like Dubai a couple of years ago (2024 T20 World Cup). But I enjoyed it, we came out all guns blazing.”

Knight, dropped on 14, added 43 from 26 before she was run out, too.

West Indies captain Hayley Matthews was furious to be given out on review on 14 in the fourth over. There was a spike on UltraEdge despite a clear gap between bat and ball, and Matthews, who argued with the umpire because she didn’t believe she touched the ball, said afterward she respected the umpire’s decision.

Deandra Dottin was caught in the deep on 19 and Shemaine Campbelle was bowled on 20 and the West Indies appeared to go into a shell. A late unbeaten 51 off 30 came from Chinelle Henry when the result was already certain.

Henry was dropped on 10, 28 and 45 among six dropped catches by England, its most in a T20 match in two years.

Published – June 25, 2026 05:07 am IST

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Capsey, Knight fifties floor India in third women’s T20I, England wins series 2-1

admin — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 07:01:00 +0000

Alice Capsey’s fiery 82 and Heather Knight’s composed unbeaten 70 powered England to a series-clinching six-wicket victory over India in the third and final Women’s T20I in Taunton, U.K.

England won the series 2-1, also giving India some points to ponder ahead of the Women’s T20 World Cup where Harmanpreet Kaur and Co. will face Pakistan in their tournament opener in Birmingham on June 14.

England did the immediate task of scaling down 181 by reaching 184 for four in 18.3 overs.

It was their second highest run-chase in the shortest format, built around a 137-run alliance from just 76 balls for the fourth wicket between Capsey and Knight.

But the beginning of that trip was full of turbulence as England lost openers Sophia Dunkley, Danny Wyatt-Hodge and Amy Jones within the Power Play for a mere 38 on the board.

Pacer Kranti Goud, who has been recalled to the side, did the early damage, jettisoning Hodge and Jones. Hodge’s dismissal came through a lovely delivery that nipped back to rattle her stumps.

But England found stability as Capsey, who struck nine fours and three sixes in her 43-ball innings, and Knight, whose 42-ball innings featured 10 fours, blunted Indian bowlers.

Both Capsey and Knight needed a confidence-boost after recent failures, and they did it on a must-win occasion.

They duo relied on exquisite timing and placement to ward off Indian pacers and spinners alike. Capsey raced to her fifty in 27 balls, while Knight was tad more sedate off 31 balls.

After reaching her fifty, Capsey raised the tempo of her knock, punishing left-arm spinner Sree Charani for 4, 6, 6.

Knight, on the other hand, was not hesitant to put on display her innovative powers through reverse sweeps or upper cuts.

Capsey fell to pacer Arundhati Reddy but by then England needed just six runs to win with plenty of balls in store.

Earlier, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur overcame a slow start to make a 40-ball 56 and received plenty of support from seasoned Deepti Sharma (32, 24b) as the tourists reached 180 for five.

The fifth wicket pair added a valuable 67 runs to bolster India’s innings.

Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana departed early but India still ended the Power Play at a strong 57 for two, courtesy the adventures of Yastika Bhatia (32, 18b) and Jemimah Rodrigues (29, 19b).

Harmanpreet found her touch after a rather slow start, and hammered Lauren Bell for a couple of fours to up the ante.

The skipper reached her fifty in the 20th over off 38 balls, her 17th T20I fifty but first against England.

It helped India reach a competitive total, but was not enough to stop the home side.

Scoreboard

India

Smriti Mandhana lbw b Dean 8 Shafali Verma c Dean b Smith 11 Yastika Bhatia run out (Ecclestone) 32 Jemimah Rodrigues b Bell 29 Harmanpreet Kaur not out 56 Deepti Sharma c Dean b Bell 32 Richa Ghosh not out 6

Extras: (W-6) 6

Total: ( For 5 wickets in 20 overs) 180

Fall of wickets: 1-19 2-36 3-60 4-100 5-167

Bowling: Lauren Bell 4-0-36-2, Linsey Smith 4-0-40-1, Charlie Dean 4-0-33-1, Sophie Ecclestone 4-0-33-0, Dani Gibson 4-0-38-0

England

Sophia Dunkley c Rodrigues b Reddy 16 Danni Wyatt-Hodge b Gaud 5 Amy Jones c D Sharma b Gaud 2 Alice Capsey c NSS Sharma b Reddy 82 Heather Knight not out 70 Freya Kemp not out 2

Extras: (LB-2 W-5) 7

Total: (For 4 wickets in 18.3 overs) 184

Fall of wickets: 1-14 2-24 3-38 4-175

Bowling: Arundhati Reddy 4-0-31-2, Kranti Gaud 4-0-40-2, Nandani Sharma 3-0-32-0, Shree Charani 3-0-37-0, Deepti Sharma 2.3-0-26-0, Shafali Verma 2-0-16-0

We were not able to build pressure with dot balls, can’t repeat the mistake in WC: Mandhana

Vice-captain Smriti Mandhana pinned the defeat to India’s failure to bowl enough dot balls, and hoped not to repeat the mistake in the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup.

“We definitely started extremely well with the ball, (reducing England to) 35 for 3. I wouldn’t really take anything away from the partnership they had. I think they played really good cricketing shots,” Mandhana said at the post-match press conference.

“In hindsight, we would have been able to build pressure with a few dot balls, but we were not able to do that. We will definitely look at this game in a way where we can do better and not repeat these mistakes in the World Cup coming ahead,” she added.

Despite the defeat, the left-handed opener took some positives from the series such as the return to form of skipper Harmanpreet Kaur. Harmanpreet struck a 40-ball 56 to take India to 180 for five. “She batted amazingly well. Harman, when she is at her best, is a delight to watch. She played all over the ground. It’s a really important innings under pressure, especially when we needed that knock to get us to 180+.

“I feel everyone is in good nick. It is a good sign going forward for the World Cup that Jemi, Harman, everyone is looking really beautiful to watch from the outside. Hopefully, I can watch from the non-strikers end,” she said.

Mandhana refused to buy into the hype around a cricket match between India and Pakistan, instead the 29-year-old wanted the team to focus on the World Cup in its entirety. “We did play India-Pakistan at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham (2022) and we had a sell out. Not only India-Pakistan, I just feel we really need to hype up the T20 World Cup. We don’t need to hype up only one match.

“It is already hyped up. I am sure a lot of people are going to come and support us. Hopefully, we can put up a show for them,” said Mandhana.

Published – June 03, 2026 12:31 pm IST

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Women’s T20 World Cup: New Zealand win maiden title as South Africa falter in successive final

admin — Sun, 20 Oct 2024 17:34:30 +0000

New Zealand’s Eden Carson, Georgia Plimmer and Molly Penfold celebrate their victory at the end of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup cricket final match between South Africa and New Zealand at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai on October 20, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AFP

New Zealand produced a clinical performance in a high-stakes final to beat South Africa by 32 runs and win their maiden Women’s T20 World Cup title on Sunday (October 20, 2024).

It turned out to be a historic Sunday for New Zealand cricket as the White Ferns got their hands on the ICC trophy hours after the men recorded their first Test win in India after 36 years.

South Africa, playing their second successive final, sent New Zealand in to bat and the Sophie Devine-led side thrived under pressure to post an above par 158 for five at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Amelia Kerr collected 43 off 38 balls while Brooke Halliday made an impactful 38 off 28 balls to push New Zealand beyond 150 in what has been a low scoring tournament. South Africa skipper Laura Wolvaardt (33 off 27) took her team to 47 for no loss in the powerplay before New Zealand bowlers were able to stifle the opposition.

South Africa could not keep with the scoring rate and ended with 126 for nine in 20 overs. Kerr starred with her leg-spin as well, ending with three wickets for 24 runs in four overs.

It was a remarkable change of fortunes for New Zealand, who had come into the tournament with the baggage of 10 losses in a row. They were the best bowling unit in the competition by a fair distance and on Sunday (October 20, 2024), improved their batting by a few notches. There was no coming back from South Africa after they lost their gutsy leader Wolvaardt in the 10th over. Kerr got the prized wicket as Wolvaardt, in her attempt to accelerate the scoring rate, found Suzie Bates at cover.

When the hero of the semifinal, Anneke Bosch, perished five balls later, the writing was on the wall. South Africa’s untested middle-order could not respond to the pressure put by the New Zealand bowlers.

Brief scores: New Zealand 158/5 in 20 overs (Amelia Kerr 43, Brooke Halliday 38; Nonkululeko Mlaba 2/31). South Africa 126/9 in 20 overs (Laura Wolvaardt 33, Amelia Kerra 3/24).

Published – October 20, 2024 11:04 pm IST

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