WWT20: Perfect Team Performance Hands Australia Fourth Title Against England

Cricketnext Staff | Updated: November 25, 2018, 9:09 AM IST

An all-round team effort by Australia saw them clinch their fourth ICC Women's World T20 title as they defeated England by eight wickets in the final at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua.

It was the Australian spinners, despite their poor fielding, who paved the way for victory, before captain Meg Lanning walked in and calmly took her side over the line from what had the potential to become a tricky situation.

England’s decision to elect to bat first on the big day did not play out the way they would have liked as Australia’s spinners spun a web around them. The Australians bowled superbly in the first innings and wrapped up the English innings for a paltry 105.

Danielle Wyatt top-scored for the English with a strokeful 43 after being given a life by wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy, who dropped her off seamer Ellyse Perry in the third over.

But that apart, only skipper Heather Knight (25) showed any resistance with the bat as spinners Ashleigh Gardner and Georgia Wareham picked up five wickets between themselves and put the Aussies in prime position to life a fourth World T20 title.

The English batters will be disappointed as they were afforded more than a few chances thanks to the poor catching of the opposition. It was Wareham who turned things around for her side with a brilliant direct hit to run out Amy Jones (4).

The teenager followed that up with the crucial wickets of Lauren Winfield and Sophia Dunkley off consecutive balls.

She then claimed the wickets of Lauren Winfield and Sophia Dunkley off consecutive balls to give her side control. Gardner accounted for Wyatt and Knight as the wickets tumbled and the 21-year-old then added the scalp of Anya Shrubsole, who fell seeking to clear the mid-wicket boundary.

After the disappointing show with the bat it was upto England’s Women's ODI World Cup final star Shrubsole to lead the bowling against the strong Australian batting.

But there was no encore for Shrubsole as she proved to be unusually expensive with the ball as Australia cruised through to the title after a couple of early scares as the opposition bowlers had their lives made tougher due to the dew. Sophie Ecclestone and Danielle Hazell accounted for Alyssa Healy (22) and Beth Mooney (14) within the first seven overs and gave their side some hope early on.

But that brought the experienced Meg Lanning (28*) to the middle and along with Ashleigh Gardner (33*) kept their calm under pressure, while England threw all they had in the hunt for wickets, to guide the Australians to a fourth World title with more than four overs to spare.

Brief Scores: England Women 105 all out, Danielle Wyatt (45), Heather Knight (25), Ashleigh Gardner (3/22), Georgia Wareham (2/11) lost to Australia Women 106/2, Ashleigh Gardner (33*), Meg Lanning (28*), Sophie Ecclestone (1/12), Danielle Hazell (1/19).