In the final match held at Newlands on Sunday, Australia clinched their sixth Women’s T20 World Cup title after defeating South Africa by a margin of 19 runs. The opening batswoman, Beth Mooney, played a crucial role in Australia’s victory by scoring an unbeaten 74 runs as they set a target of 156 for six. Despite Laura Wolvaardt’s 61 off 48 balls, South Africa failed to keep up with the required run rate and could only manage 137 for six. Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits struggled to score runs as they found it hard to find gaps in the field. Brits was eventually caught at mid-on by Darcie Brown on the last ball of the fifth over after only scoring 17 runs.
After hitting two boundaries, Marizanne Kapp was dismissed for 11, and South African skipper Sune Luus was run out for two runs. At that point, the home team needed 103 more runs to win in just 56 deliveries.
Despite Laura Wolvaardt’s attacking fourth-wicket partnership with Chloe Tryon, which added 55 runs off 37 balls and entertained a crowd of nearly 15,000, the match was practically over once Wolvaardt was adjudged leg before wicket to Megan Schutt in the 17th over.
Beth Mooney’s innings was noteworthy for her composure as she scored an unbeaten 74 runs off 53 balls while several of her teammates played aggressively alongside her.
In the batting lineup, Ash Gardner and Grace Harris were promoted ahead of captain Meg Lanning, and it seemed like they were instructed to play aggressively. Despite this strategy, South Africa’s bowlers bowled consistently, and their energetic fielding added to the pressure on Australia. Both Shabnim Ismail and Marizanne Kapp, two experienced players, claimed two wickets each with their impressive bowling performances.
With their remarkable athleticism and unwavering commitment, Australia demonstrated their exceptional skills in defending their total, which kept the South African batters under constant pressure.