Australia entered the final of the Women’s T20 World Cup with a resounding eight-wicket win, taking their sixth win out of six in the tournament, and needed smart money to secure their seventh successive win in the final.
Sophie Molineux, who succeeds the legendary Alyssa Healy, who retired in March, has led her team to a perfect tournament so far, beating pre-tournament champions India and fellow semi-finalists South Africa in the group stage, posting an incredible net scoring percentage of 3.882, more than 1.7 points higher than the other teams.
The six-time world champions dispatched every opponent they faced to reach their seventh World Cup final in nine appearances.
Their form raises questions. Do England actually have a chance of beating them?
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Highlights of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup semi-final between Australia and West Indies at The Oval.
Australia’s Deep Strengths for Shining Shapes
Whether with the bat or the ball, Australia’s threat can come from anywhere.
Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney, Brooke Halliday and Ash Gardener are all in the top 20 scorers at the tournament, but none of them individually are in the top three scorers.
In Australia, six players have scored more than 40 runs in an innings, in that order from opener to seventh, and seven players have taken two or more wickets in a match. This is Australia’s deep strength.
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Watch Australia chase down 78 runs in just 9.3 overs and beat Bangladesh by 9 wickets in the T20 Women’s World Cup.
Their semi-final victory was an example of that. Ash Gardner, who had struggled with the ball throughout the tournament, came on at just the right moment to stagger West Indies to 59-4. It was 59-2 just three balls ago.
“I don’t think I had much of an impact on the ball in the tournament, so I’m glad I did my best so far,” Gardner said after the win. “I’ve been pretty inconsistent, but it worked today.
“I felt this was the best cricket we’ve played in a very long time. As I’ve said before, we’re not relying on one or two people, so it’s almost like other people are stepping up in those big moments. It’s amazing to be a part of that.”
Are there any opportunities in the UK?
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Highlights from Cardiff as England lost by five wickets to Australia in the Women’s T20 World Cup warm-up match.
England have not beaten Australia in any format for nearly three years, with their last win coming on July 18, 2023, during the home Ashes series.
Since then, Australia have recorded eight successive wins against their arch-rivals, including a whitewash in six away Ashes matches, a group stage win in the 2025 50-over World Cup and a six-wicket win in this tournament’s T20I warm-up in June.
But England’s semi-final victory will be a huge source of optimism as they overcame similar challenges against South Africa, who lost two successive World Cup semi-finals to the Proteas in 2023 and 2025 before winning by 40 points.
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Tash Farrant and Nasser Hussain explain why they believe England can dominate against Australia despite being underdogs in Sunday’s Women’s T20 World Cup final.
Nasser Hussain believes this “new” England team, helped by a coaching change and less affected by the mental strain of past results, has a good chance of ending their barren run with their old foes.
“Do they still really believe they can beat Australia? The first obstacle they have to overcome is themselves. There is no mental baggage, there is no mental scarring.
“We are a new England under a new manager and we are reaching out to you, Australia.
“Do the Australian side have any weaknesses? To be honest, I don’t see many. Their biggest strength is their long batting average, which means they keep attacking.
“Can England beat Australia? Of course they can. Who is your favorite player? Australia.”
Sciver-Brunt: We can beat Australia
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Nasser Hussain was impressed with England’s on-field performance in their victory over South Africa in the Women’s T20 World Cup semi-finals. This was after he said in previous games that defensive positions can sometimes be missing.
England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt:
“I think the way cricket will be played in this tournament and the way we can win cricket has already been planned out.
“Obviously they have a really long and skilled batting line-up, they don’t just need to take top wickets, they need to keep going.
“I think our bowlers are fully equipped to handle any attack that is thrown at us.
“Australia is a world-class team who have enjoyed great success over the last few years. The Ashes series are different at home and away, but I think standing up and going toe-to-toe with them is the way to go.”
Farrant: Australia is not superhuman.
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Tash Farrant believes whoever faces Australia in the T20 World Cup final ‘should have the best day’.
Former England fast bowler Tash Farrant told Sky Sports:
“They’re not superhuman, but they’re by far the best team in this tournament.
“They are very good at performing under pressure.
“Whoever wants to beat Australia needs to have their best day.
“We saw them drop a few catches in the last game, so we can make a crack there, but we have to work really hard to make sure they feel the pressure coming into the final.”
What’s next?
Watch every match between England, Ireland and Scotland in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup for free with the Sky Sports app
Anyone can live stream the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup final for free and without a subscription via the Sky Sports app. Simply download the latest version of the Sky Sports app to your phone or tablet and log in.
Download the Sky Sports app here: iPhone & iPad or android.
England face Australia in the final at Lord’s Stadium on Sunday. Coverage begins at 2.30pm on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Mix (first ball 3.30pm). Watch every ball of the Women’s T20 World Cup live, exclusively on Sky Sports and NOW.
