Australia once more proved why they are the dominant force in women’s cricket and defeated England by seven wickets in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 final at Lord’s to secure a record-extending seventh title.
A half-century from wicketkeeper-batter Beth Mooney and a key partnership with Phoebe Litchfield helped the Southern Stars to comfortably chase down a target of 151 and lift yet another global trophy.
After winning the toss, Australia captain Sophie Molineux elected to field first. England finished 150/4 in their 20 overs, thanks mainly to captain Nat Sciver-Brunt who remained unbeaten on 58 and anchored the innings under pressure.
England’s batting line-up could not fully take advantage of that great platform as Australia’s disciplined bowling effort kept the score in check throughout the innings. Though Sciver-Brunt was brave to put up a fight, the hosts were not able to get more than 150 runs, leaving Australia with a challenging but achievable target.
Australia's run chase got off to a shaky start when opener Georgia Voll was lbw in the second over. But any hope England had of putting the Australian batting order under pressure were quickly extinguished by Beth Mooney and Phoebe Litchfield.
The two put together a match-defining 100-run partnership for the second wicket, completely shifting momentum in Australia’s favour. Litchfield played a fluent innings of 48 from 35 deliveries, just failing to get a well-deserved half-century.
Mooney showed her experience and composure on the biggest stage. The left-hander was able to keep her innings moving and scored 64 runs from 49 balls and she also struck 10 boundaries. Her focused push for runs was so effective that Australia remained ahead of the required run rate throughout the chase.
Though Litchfield fell short of her 50, Mooney continued to guide the innings expertly and Australia got to 151/3 in just 17.1 overs with 17 balls to spare to secure a comfortable seven-wicket victory.
For her match-winning knock, Mooney was named Player of the Match.
The half-century was another landmark in an already glittering World Cup career. It marked Mooney’s ninth fifty-plus score in ICC Women’s T20 World Cup history, making her level with England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt for the most 50-plus scores in the tournament.
Mooney also moved closer to another major achievement. She now has 990 runs in Women’s T20 World Cup matches for Australia, making her the third-highest run-scorer for the Southern Stars in tournament history. Only Alyssa Healy (1,008 runs) and former captain Meg Lanning (992 runs) are ahead of her on the all-time list.
And the success has only solidified Australia’s remarkable heritage in this competition. The Southern Stars have now won seven women’s T20 World Cup titles since winning the title in 2010, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2020, and 2023 before winning the 2026 championship.
England's wait for a second Women's T20 World Cup title continues, with their only victory coming in the first edition in 2009. West Indies won the tournament in 2016, while New Zealand won the title in 2024.
Australia's latest success once again underlines their dominance in women's cricket on a grand scale. Sophie Molineux and another masterclass from Beth Mooney were the Southern Stars’ main ingredients in the final and their return to the top in world cricket adds another chapter to their World Cup history.g
