The most dominant team in women’s cricket, Australia won their record sixth ICC Women’s T20 World Cup title after beating South Africa by 19 runs in the final of the 2023 edition, here in Cape Town’s Newlands. Batting first, Australia scored 156/6 before restricting South Africa to 137/6.
After winning the toss, Aussie skipper Meg Lanning opted to do what her team did successfully in the semi-final clash against India, that is, to bat first and get off to a good start. Both openers, Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney were looking in good touch, until the former lost her wicket to Marizanne Kapp in the 5th over, scoring a 20-ball 18.
Last match’s star performer, Ashleigh Gardner was promoted to number three in this match, and she did well to form a partnership with Mooney after Healy’s departure. Australia was going at a run-a-ball scoring run, but overs number 8 and 9 changed the complexion of the game.
Firstly, Nonkoluleko Mlaba conceded 12 runs in her second over, while in the next over, Nadine de Klerk ended up conceding 13 runs, thanks to two massive sixes off Gardner’s bat. This phase helped Australia score 73 runs in the first ten overs, at the loss of just a single wicket.
However, just when it seemed that Gardner was all set for a massive score, Chloe Tryon provided the big breakthrough in the 12th over. To make matters worse, Grace Harris could not last long either and lost her wicket in just the 9th delivery that she faced, with Mlaba getting his first scalp.
Skipper Lanning chipped in with 10 runs as well, before she lost her wicket to Kapp. It then seemed that the hosts would be successful in their attempt of restricting the Aussies to a score of under 150, but that was not to be as Mooney went all guns blazing in the last three overs.
The 18th over produced 12 runs, while the last two overs saw the Aussies adding 22 more runs to their tally. Mooney ended up remaining unbeaten on 74 runs from 53 runs, hitting 9 fours and a six in the process. Ellyse Perry’s stay was not a long one, but she also helped out with a boundary.
Unlike their opponents, South Africa could not get a good start with the bat. The first four overs produced only 13 runs, as Perry, Darcie Brown, Megan Schutt and Gardner all did well to keep a check on the flow of the runs.
As the scoreboard pressure kept on continuously mounting, the first wicket eventually fell in the 5th over when star batter Tazmin Brits was dismissed by Brown. After her departure, opening batter Laura Wolvaardt took the responsibility on her shoulder to play the big shots.
She was successful in her ordeal, but unfortunately, did not get any support from the other hand. Kapp was dismissed by Gardner in the 9th over when she was batting on 11 runs, while the captain of the Proteas, Sune Luus scored only 2 runs in the all-important match.
It seemed that the hosts have drifted too far away from the target, but that was when Wolvaardt and Chloe Tryon launched a fightback. The duo added 55 runs for the fourth-wicket stand before the former was dismissed by Schutt in the 17th over.
Laura Wolvaardt’s efforts went in vain
Had she played till the end, South Africa could have had a chance of lifting the trophy, but she departed after scoring a 48-ball 61, which included 5 fours and 3 sixes as well. To make matters worse for the hosts, Tryon was also out in the next over as she was clean-bowled by Jess Jonassen.
The all-rounder scored 25 important runs, which included a couple of fours and a six as well. In that same over, Anneke Bosch lost her wicket to a run-out, and that was effectively the end of South Africa’s resurgence.
The last two overs, which were bowled by Schutt and Gardner, did not produce any wickets but they both were effective in not allowing the South African lower-order any chance of playing the big shots. Ultimately, South Africa scored 137/6 in their 20 overs.
Besides this being their sixth T20 World Cup victory, Australia has now won the title for three consecutive seasons. On the other hand, South Africa should be proud of their performance despite the disappointing result, as it was the first time they had made it to the final.