AUSTRALIA OVERPOWER ENGLAND TO LIFT THEIR 7th WOMENs T20 WORLD CUP

On this first July Sunday, (also the World Badminton Day), England and Australia are ready to clash for the 10^th T20 Womens World Cup at the Good Old Lords. It was also World WT20I number 2910. It would be perfect if Australia win this and improve their tally of T20 Women World Cups to 7/10 paying perfect tribute to football legends in the background of the ongoing football World Cup. It would also ensure a mathematical progression as AUS leave one cup, score three in a row, leave one cup again, score three in a row again, leave one cup and now start their three cup streak. It would be perfect if England win this as well. They won the 01^st World Cup held at England and it would be great if they won the 10^th World Cup held at England. Charlotte Edwards won the first cup as a captain and would be great to see her win this time as a coach. The stars seemed to align both the ways and I was already in peace with both the outcomes. Aussies won the toss in Lords and decided to chase. There were no changes to the squads of the two unbeaten and well balanced sides in the tournament.

ENGLAND INNINGS

OPENERS OUT, OUT IN THE OPEN
Amy and Danni opened the batting for ENG as Kim did the honours for AUS. Amy began the tournament with a fifty each in warm up match against IND and the tournament opener against SL. But the scores weren’t “Amy”able thereafter. Danni, the leading run scorer in this WC would look to continue her golden run. Kim had begun the WC well with 5 wickets from first 3 matches only to go wicket less in the next 3 matches. With all these things weighing in, Kim swung the first ball inside and Amy leaned out. Amy swung her bat at the second ball and an inside edged jumped past the stumps towards fine leg boundary. Georgia Wareham from deep square leg cut it just off with a dive and Phoebe running in from short fine leg flicked it back. But the ball touched the rope during Phoebe’s flick. ENG began with a boundary. Amy took a single to bring Danni to strike. Kim greeted Danni with a lovely delivery that once again got an inside edge and landed just short of Beth. ENG scored 7 of the first over and I could only think it was a sign for the 7^th World Cup for Australia. Lucy opened from the other end and I was thinking how the great young talent went wicket less in her past 4 matches. My thought was disrupted and also answered when Amy cut her straight to Georgia Voll in the 2^nd ball. Nat walked in and went into business straightaway with a glorious cover drive first ball for a boundary. Credits are due to Lucy for completing the rest of the over with a hat-trick of dot balls. Kim kept both the legends at bay and conceded just 3 runs  in the 3^rd over.  Skipper Sophie brought herself ad first change. Danni got her 1^st boundary in the 1^st ball when she tried to loft Sophie over mid off but ended up edging it between point and gully. Two balls later, Danni survived a run out chance and AUS weren’t giving anything away to the ENG batters. At end of the 4^th over which fetched them 6 runs, ENG were at a run rate of 5. Nat sensed the need to move on and chose Annabel in the 5^th over. She thwacked the first ball over square leg for a boundary. She got a free hit of a no ball in the 3^rd delivery and used it to perfection belting it to the cow corner for another boundary. ENG’s happiness of 12 runs coming in 4 balls was short lived as Danni got out in the 5^th ball. Annabel bowled a short ball on the leg.  Danni trying to flick it over short fine leg seemingly missed the ball. However Beth was making an earnest appeal only to find umpire Vrinda unconvinced and signaling a wide. Beth managed to convince Sophie to go for DRS which detected a faint edge. Danni had to walk back to the pavilion as Annabel celebrated her 50^th T20I wicket. Alice joined her skipper at the crease. Lucy came to close the power play and did a good job except bowling a no ball in the 4^th delivery. She could have had Alice run out in the free hit ball. But a not so clean throw by Ash and not so good back up by Lucy saw Alice get a life. ENG closed the power play at 39/2 with the openers back in the pavilion. AUS didn’t allow ENG to open up their charge. But knowing what ENG did in the last match (SF v SA), you couldn’t write them off.

THE STRANGLEHOLD
Georgia Wareham was entrusted the 7^th over and trust her to keep the batters at bay and give away just 4 ruyns. Annabel bowled the 8^th over and despite a wide conceded just 5. Alice was under pressure as she was batting at SR of 50 while her skipper was at SR of 100. Ash bowling the 9^th over gifted Alice a full toss and she obliged by whacking it to the cow corner for a boundary. A couple of singles later, Alice brought the first six of the final as she danced down and lofted the ball comfortably over deep midwicket.  After a dot ball, Alice completed the over with a boundary as she drove the ball firm between mid off and extra cover. It was a sweet 16 run over that ENG was yearning for. Sophie bowled herself for the 10^th over. Alice tried to reverse sweep the 2^nd ball and missed. AUS appealed for LBW and umpire Jacqueline wasn’t interested. Like the last match, Alice’s glove had a faint edge and unlike the last match, the review saved her. However the life wasn’t long enough. A ball later, she again reverse swept and missed. This time, the ball hit the stumps and Alice had to return to the pavilion. ENG were 68/3 at the half way mark with the experienced duo of Nat and Heather at the crease. It was a sense of déjà vu as ENG were exactly at 68/3 after 10 overs in the SF with the same pair at crease. But unlike the semi finals, the duo weren’t primed enough and the AUS bowlers didn’t look like providing easy runs.

Kim dealt a severe blow in the 5^th ball of the 11^th over when her leg cutter found Heather plumb in front of the stumps. Heather reviewed but the DRS could only confirm three reds for the red signal. Georgia Wareham sneaked a quick 6 run over. Freya found her first boundary in the 13^th over when she lifted a full length delivery by Lucy over mid off for a good looking boundary. In the same over, Nat had a stroke of luck when her edge fell just short of a diving Beth on the leg side. Ash returned for the 14^th over and the over sans extras and boundaries fetched 8 runs for ENG. ENG were 93/4 after 14 and needed a move on desperately. Annabel provided them just that by starting with a ball that strayed down the leg side. Freya flayed it over deep fine leg for a boundary. In the fourth ball, she bowled one slow and Freya pulled it towards deep midwicket for another boundary. There were 4 singles in the remaining 4 balls and the 12 run over was a relief for ENG. It also helped them cross 100 runs. Sophie bowled the 16^th over and it was a skipper to skipper face off. Nat finally found a boundary in the first ball as she walloped it over cover for a boundary. Sophie returned well conceding just 5 more in the over. ENG were 114/4 with the death overs to go. The Aussies had a hold on the proceedings so far. ENG needed to break the shackles. Any score less than 160 wouldn’t be par.

GOOD, ENOUGH – YET NOT GOOD ENOUGH
Kim was entrusted the 17^th over. Despite starting the over with a wide and conceding a 4 of the 4^th ball (to Nat, on a leading edge) she gave just 8 in the over. When Nat swept the first ball of Ash in the next over, she got to her 45 ball 50 and also secured the record of most 50s in T20 WC. ENG needed more but in spite of a smashing boundary over long on by Freya, AUS just conceded 9 in the over. Annabel controlled the proceedings beautifully in the penultimate over not allowing any room for the batters to freeze arms. She kept the 19^th over to run a ball. Sophie came to close the innings and kept it to 4 runs in the first 3 balls. Freya brought some cheer back to the Lords crowd when she danced down and hoisted the 4^th ball straight over the bowler for a six. Freya could just score 3 more of the next 2 balls and ENG finished exactly at 150. AUS had just given 36 in the last four. ENG at least hit the landmark of 150 which could be called for a moral advantage. Losing only 4 wickets was good. 150 could be enough. But with the AUS, this can also prove to be not good enough. ENG bowlers need to produce their most special bowling performance to seal the tournament. On the other hand, AUS batters need to go about their business as usual.

AUSTRALIA INNINGS

THE EARLY MOVERS
Beth Mooney and Georgia Voll took the crease for ENG. In such a pressure match, you can always bet your money on Beth Mooney. Having seen Vollie play a wonderful knock in the WPL final, I was convinced about her big match temperament as well. Not Linsey or Lauren, but Charlie opened the bowling for ENG. She began by tossing the first ball up and Vollie showed no courtesy as she clonked it over mid on for a boundary. Charlie hit Vollie’s pads in the next ball and Jacqueline signaled out. Beth persuaded Vollie to go for the review and DRS confirmed that it pitched outside leg. There was no drama thereafter in the over. I expected AUS to score 7 runs to confirm their 7^th World Cup. But they scored only 6 runs. My predictions were more on the ENG side now. However Lauren bailed them all out in the high action 2^nd over. She began with a wonderful swing and length ball which eluded Beth’s swing. She struck Beth in the pads next ball and Vollie trying to sneak an improbable run was sent back. Lauren fumbled on collection and had a shy at the stumps. A diving Vollie was saved because it wasn’t a direct hit. The duo finally took a single the next ball. In the 4^th ball, Lauren bowled a wide full toss that went past the batter and keeper for a boundary. It was declared a no ball for clearing the wide line and Vollie made full use of the free hit as she pulled it over deep midwicket for a boundary. Lauren bowled a wide again before she induced an inside edge from Vollie that hit the middle stumps. Phoebe came in and simply steered a full ball past the umpire and Beth for a straight boundary. Despite Vollie’s wicket, the 15 run over favoured AUS. Linsey was brought in first change and Beth opened her boundary account in the 3^rd ball when she swept Linsey fine over deep square and Dani couldn’t cut it off. Lauren continued from the other end and so did ENG woes. Beth Mooney announced herself with three pristine boundaries. She drove the 2^nd ball with more timing than power as it beat mid-off for the first boundary. In the 4^th ball, it was a heave over mid on that beat Sophie for the 2^nd boundary. In the last ball, Beth displayed her classic late cut that steered the ball right into the gap of the off side fielders. Lauren had conceded 16 in the 4^th over and AUS had seized the early advantage. Charlie was brought back for the 5^th over. After a dot ball, Phoebe shuffled across and carted the delivery over square leg for a boundary. Another dot ball later, she danced down and cleared the long on with so much ease for first sixer of AUS innings. The ENG shoulders started drooping. Beth found another boundary in the next over bowled by Linsey as AUS finished the power play at 62/1. ENG needed more than a couple of wickets to stop this free run.

SOUTHPAWS SPECIAL
Freya was brought in for the 7^th over. Beth got a lucky boundary of an edge and AUS scored 10 in the over. The 10 and 7 connect assured me more than ever that it was AUS ‘s World Cup. Nat brought in Sophie and my surety had gone for a toss already. Phoebe swept her fourth ball fine for a four in an otherwise Sophie like over. Dani was introduced as the 6^th bowler in the 9^th over and that didn’t change one boundary per over equation for AUS. Phoebe brought a brilliant boundary in the 3^rd ball as she effortlessly steered a full length full pace delivery past long off for a boundary. Lauren was brought back and Phoebe found boundaries of successive balls. She charged down and thrashed the 2^nd ball over mid off and tonked a full toss to long on in the 3^rd ball. AUS had reached 98/1 at half way mark. The scorecard suggested that they were 30 runs ahead of ENG. In fact they were nautical miles ahead and tantalizingly close to the World Cup. Linsey bowled the 11^th over and completed 4 quick balls for 3 runs. Phoebe then produced the shot of the match as she reverse swept the 5^th ball over deep square leg for a six. Just Phoebe things! In the first ball of the next over (bowled by Sophie), Beth brought out one from her book. Sophie bowled on the leg and Beth made room and went inside out for a brilliant boundary. Only Beth can make those shots look so easy. At that time AUS were 111/1 in 11.1 – a true Nelson. Even Nelson’s magic wouldn’t save ENG as the southpaws were chasing it with élan. It was proven in the last ball when Phoebe missed Sophie’s arm ball and the ball missed the stump by the barest of margins. In the first ball of the next over bowled by Charlie, Beth brought her fifty and equalled Nat’s record of maximum 50s in T20 World Cups. Charlie suddenly had Phoebe in trouble with 3 dot balls before Phoebe lost her stumps in the last ball missing a quicker one from Charlie. Phoebe was out two short of 50 but she had already done her job. AUS just needed 34 from 7 as Ellyse walked in. Freya bowled the 14^th over which decisively sealed the match and cup in favour of AUS. After a dot ball, she strayed on the leg and Beth just helped it past short fine leg and a diving Linsey for a boundary.In the third ball, Beth got an inside edge while trying to go over the line and luckily it sped past the fine leg boundary.  In the next ball, Beth hit her straight and the ball bruised past Freya’s arms and hit the stumps on the non strikers end. Ellyse was nowhere inside the crease but Freya wasn’t sure whether it hit her arms. Ultra Edge confirmed that there were many a slip between the cup and the lip for ENG. Beth celebrated it next ball by lofting  the 5^th ball over mid off for another 4. Freya ended with the dot ball. But the 12 runs in 3 balls ensured AUS are going to get home(read Cup) quicker than expected. Charlie continued and continued to be impressive before Ellyse found her first boundary with a simple lift over mid off. Sophie gave just 3 in the 5 balls of the 16^th over and closed the over with a big LBW appeal. Vrinda didn’t seem interested and ENG took the DRS. It needed the DRS to ensure that Beth finally gets out on a World Cup Final. Beth was 78 not out in the 2020 T20 World Cup Final and 74 not out in the 2023 T20 World Cup Final and I was hoping that she would end up either at 72 not out or at 76 not out. But she was out for 64 of 49 balls. ENG at least had a wicket though they lost any mood for a cheer. Ellyse and Ash, two of the finest all rounders for AUS were at the crease as AUS had 4 full overs to knock away 11 runs.

A BIT OF DRAMA, THE WHOLE OF DREAM
Linsey began the 17^th over with a dot ball. Ellyse came down to thwack the next ball over mid off for a boundary. AUS just needed 7 more for their 7^th Cup. But Lords wanted some drama. In the next ball bowled by Linsey, Perry tried to go between mid off and extra cover but it went towards mid on where Sophie held a brilliant return catch. There were cheers in the ENG crowd and Ellyse began her walk back to the pavilion. The third umpire Kim Cotton intervened to find the veracity of the catch. She observed multiple angles and found a slow motion replay that was indicative of the ball touching grass even as Sophie held the ball firmly. She gave the benefit of doubt to Ellyse who walked her way back. Sophie was more than shell shocked and was ready to take on the on field umpire before Charlie and ENG players stopped her just in time. The AUS dug out could afford to smile at the irony. This was followed by 2 runs and the match went into the 18^th over with AUS needing just 5 more. Sophie was entrusted the over and Ash lofted her over mid on for a couple. Sophie fired one down the leg and AUS ended the match with 5 wides. Neither Ash nor Ellyse scored the winning runs. It came of extras as they added an extra World Cup in their cabinet. AUS won by 7 wickets to claim their 7^th T20 World Cup. ENG put up a great fight but the Aussies led by Sophie always seemed a cut above the rest of the teams.

Sophie Molineux joins the illustrious list of Charlotte Edwards, Alex Blackwell, Jodie Fields, Meg Lanning, Stafanie Taylor and Sophie Devine as she led AUS to their 7^th title. AUS now have the Women T20 World Cup and Men’s 50 ODIWorld Cup while IND have the Men’s T20 World Cup and Women’s ODI World cup. AUS have been playing like a dream and were never even tested in their 7 matches. They simply played flawless cricket in 7 matches to claim their 7^th World Cup. Beth Mooney was both the player of the Match and the player of the tournament. The Aussies team never ran out of steam and and played like a dream to prove yet again that are the cream. 

(Images Courtesy - ICC)