Australia win fourth World T20 trophy

The result: England 105 (Wyatt 43, Knight 25; Gardner 3-22) in 19.4 overs lost to Australia 2-106 (Gardner 33*, Lanning 28*; Ecclestone 1-12) in 15.1 overs by eight wickets at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua

Image Id: 5112E350C7BA4DE0A908BB3615B835D1 Image Caption: Lanning leaps after hitting winning runs // Getty

The match in a tweet: THE TROPHY IS AUSTRALIA’S! A magnificent display against England sees Australia win their fourth World T20 title!

The hero: Ashleigh Gardner produced an magnificent all-round game with both bat and ball to be player of the match for the final. When Danielle Wyatt loomed as the key to England’s innings, the off-spinner combined with Meg Lanning to remove the dangerous opener for 43 in the 11th over and from that point England lost 7-41 to be bowled out in the final over. She followed up the Wyatt wicket with the scalps of Anya Shrubsole and captain Heather Knight – just as the England captain as looking to escalate late in the innings – to finish with 3-22 from her four overs.

Image Id: 4E3CFFAB322D42FE96739DA002BC4554 Image Caption: Ash Gardner applauds after dismissing Heather Knight // Getty

Then with the bat, she came to the crease at a tricky stage and made a watchful start, before turning around what has been a quiet tournament to date in brilliant fashion, striking three huge sixes on her way to 33no from 26. She shared an unbeaten 62-run stand with skipper Meg Lanning to see Australia home in the sixteenth over.

The young gun: Teenage leg-spinner Georgia Wareham picked up two big wickets, executed a stunning run out and took a catch in an all-round excellent performance in her first major final. Wareham’s direct-hit sent the in-form Amy Jones on her way for four in the fifth over, before she struck twice with the ball; a correct decision to review for lbw removing Lauren Winfield for six, before she bowled Sophia Dunkley with a ripping delivery the following ball. There was no hat-trick for the teenager, but she finished a superb three-over spell with 2-11.

Image Id: 5A09913B7DA949A1A4E4974DC100AA48 Image Caption: Wareham celebrates her second wicket // Getty

 

The consolation effort: England opener Wyatt had scored just 36 runs in four innings coming into the final but immediately went on the attack, striking a four, then a six, from left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux in the opening over of the match. The flamboyant batter rode her luck, dropped three times by the Australians to post her biggest score of the tournament to date, but she fell short of a half-century when Lanning took an excellent catch to dismiss Wyatt for 43 (37).

The POTT: Alyssa Healy may have posted her lowest score of the tournament in the final, bowled by Sophie Ecclestone for 22, she was by far the form batter of the tournament. She finished the tournament with 225 runs at 56.25, at a strike rate of 144.23, having posted scores of 48, 56no, 53, 46 and 22.

The milestone: An unsuccessful lbw review from Natalie Sciver saw Perry claim her 100th T20I wicket, becoming the first Australian and just the second player to achieve the feat, and crucially sent the dangerous allrounder on her way for one.

Image Id: 3CFC0EEA042F4A8AB26BD40507A88742 Image Caption: Perry celebrates her 100th T20I scalp // Getty

The DRS: The decision review system, being utilised in a WT20 for the first time, was the cause of some discussion with Sciver adamant she’d got some bat on it but the television umpire found no conclusive evidence to overturn the on-field decision. Then, Australia missed a trick when they chose not to review a caught behind shout, with replays showing Lauren Winfield had top-edged it. But the Australians got one right the following over, Lanning correctly believing Winfield had been trapped lbw by Georgia Wareham.

The next stop: For the Australian players the next stop is Melbourne for the Rebel WBBL Big Weekend. The WBBL|04 season will start with a weekend of festivities at Junction Oval, with all eight teams in action across two days!

Australia XI: Mooney, Healy, Gardner, Lanning (c), Villani, Haynes, Perry, Molineux, Kimmince, Wareham, Schutt

England XI: Beaumont, Wyatt, Sciver, Knight (c), Winfield, Jones, Shrubsole, Dunkley, Ecclestone, Hazell, Gordon

2018 ICC Women's World T20  

Australia squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Nicole Bolton, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy (wk), Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Elyse Villani, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham

November 9: Australia beat Pakistan by 52 runs

November 11: Australia beat Ireland by nine wickets

November 13: Australia beat New Zealand by 33 runs

November 17: Australia lost to India by 48 runs

November 22: Semi-final: Australia beat West Indies by 71 runs

November 24: Final: Australia win by eight wickets