'Needed to happen': How losses pushed Aussies to new heights

1h ago Jack Paynter

Phoebe Litchfield reflects on 'uncomfortable' conversations that steeled Australia for their latest triumph after consecutive semi-final losses

Uncovered: Australia celebrate T20 World Cup triumph at Lord's

When Phoebe Litchfield broke into international cricket in 2023, Australia's all-conquering women's team were the holders of every global trophy on offer.

In the previous year they'd won back the 50-over World Cup – the team's seventh title – as well as the gold medal in women's cricket's first appearance at the Commonwealth Games in 2022.

While the then 19-year-old wasn't selected for the 2023 T20 World Cup, they won that too, beating hosts South Africa in the final to secure a third straight and the team's sixth T20 world title overall.

"When you come into the side, you're like, 'Oh yeah, they win all the time'," Litchfield recounts.

Except then they didn't.

Heartbreaking semi-final losses followed to the Proteas at the T20 World Cup in 2024 and then at the 50-over version a year later when eventual champions India pulled off a record run chase of 339 in Navi Mumbai.

Litchfield played in both losses, scoring 16 not out at the T20 event and a career-best 119 from 93 balls in the ODI semi-final defeat in 2025.

Looking back after her maiden World Cup triumph on Sunday, a thumping seven-wicket win over England at Lord's, the left-hander believes the two semi-final defeats "needed to happen" and were crucial in shaping the rejuvenated direction of the side under new captain Sophie Molineux following the retirements of legends Meg Lanning and Alyssa Healy.

Doubts no more: Molineux crowns tenure with World Cup

Litchfield said the team spoke about the disappointment of the previous two World Cups "quite a few times" leading into this year's T20 tournament.

"We didn't beat around the bush, they were very disappointing," she told reporters on Monday morning from the team hotel in London.

"But we had really cool and honest discussions and reviews and it set us up for success.

"To sit in a room and talk about how and why we missed those moments … identifying that fear or that pressure, and being like, 'Yeah, it was there and we felt it and we weren't able to perform'.

"We did a bit of work with that and then implemented it in training and tried to manufacture those moments to just expose us to more of those moments.

"Those meetings were uncomfortable … but it was a cool thing to be in and just own it. Being able to learn a lot from those knockouts and take it into this tournament, the way we've played shows that, so it's pretty satisfying."

Our T20 World Cup team of the tournament

Litchfield, now 23, is part of the team's star-studded younger generation alongside opener Georgia Voll, 22, and left-arm quick Lucy Hamilton, 20, that Australia will hope can carry them to another golden run of success. Allrounder Annabel Sutherland, still just 24, is another who is already dominating on the world stage.

The younger trio all played important roles in the final against England too – Hamilton (1-19) took the first wicket of the match to remove Amy Jones, Voll set the tone in the run chase by smashing the first ball to the boundary, before Litchfield guided Australia within touching distance of their 151-run target with 48 from 35 balls in a 100-run partnership with player of the match Beth Mooney.

"It's been our blueprint since being knocked out in the Dubai T20 World Cup (in 2024); we always go hard in the Powerplay," said Litchfield, who also hit a half-century in Australia's tournament opener against South Africa before missing the next three games with a quad injury.

"It's kind of a non-negotiable in trying to set up the chase or the game. It's the best way to put a team under pressure (when the) batters come out and take the game on."

While the celebrations in London are continuing, Litchfield and the team already have an eye on their next challenge in two years' time when cricket returns to the Olympics for the first time since 1900.

Australia secured their place in the six-team T20 tournament at the Los Angeles 2028 Games by reaching the semi-finals of this year's World Cup.

"I haven't thought about it much but I'm thinking about it now; it's pretty exciting, especially as it's got an Olympic ring to it," Litchfield said.

"We'll set our eyes to that … the next major tournament on the horizon. But there's a lot of cricket to play in the meantime so we won't get too ahead of ourselves.

"It's a pretty exciting feeling having silverware (back) in the trophy cabinet and hopefully we can add to the collection."

ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026

Australia squad: Sophie Molineux (c), Ashleigh Gardner (vc), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Nicola Carey, Kim Garth, Lucy Hamilton, Grace Harris, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham. Travelling reserve: Tahlia Wilson