Australia cruised to their sixth Women’s T20 World Cup title with a 19-run win over South Africa in Cape Town.
In front of a full house at Newlands, Australia reached 156-6 with Beth Mooney striking a sublime unbeaten 74.
In reply, South Africa put up a spirited fight but after a slow start, struggled to cope with the class of Australia’s bowlers and totalled 137-6.
It is Australia’s third T20 title in a row, and the sixth time in seven editions they have won the tournament.
Spurred on by the raucous crowd, South Africa fought valiantly in the field after losing the toss, chipping away with regular wickets to keep Australia’s run-rate under control, each one greeted by a remarkable roar.
There were two wickets apiece for star seamers Shabnim Ismail and Marizanne Kapp, but opener Mooney defied them all in a crucial knock that held the innings together.
A target of 157 felt difficult but achievable for the hosts, who had posted 164 against England in the semi-final, but they were left to rue a nervous start to the run chase as they crawled to 22-1 after the powerplay and 53-2 after 10 overs.
Laura Wolvaardt somewhat made up for her slow start with an entertaining 61 from 48 balls but her attacking intent came too late for the hosts.
But despite the disappointment, South Africa and Cape Town were treated to a historic and memorable day for the country’s first ever cricket World Cup final, a day where the impact on the nation felt bigger than the occasion itself.
