Australia showed all their class as they defeated the South African women’s team Proteas to clinch the T20 World Cup title at Newlands in Cape Town on Sunday.
Meg Lanning and her team won by 19 runs in a tight game, but one Australian managed to control the ball after being restricted to just 156 at bat.
Proteas opener Laura Wolvaardt scored an impressive 61 off 48 balls, but when she was dismissed in the 17th over, it was all over for the Proteas.
Chloe Tryon’s 25 off 23 gave the home team hope, but they followed Wolvaardt to the shed and later and the Proteas were 121/5 with more than two overs left to dream of winning the World Cup.
Wolvaardt and Brits (10) made a slow start in the chase and Marizanne Kapp (11) also struggled.
South Africa were struggling at 54/3 in the 11th over when captain Sune Luus was dismissed. Anneke Bosch scored one and Nadine de Klerk and Sinalo Jafta were at the crease at the end.
For the Aussies, wickets were shared, with run-outs also part of the dismissals.
Beth Mooney
Before the Australian opener Beth Mooney scored a stunning 74 not out from 53 balls to lead the team to 156/6 after that 20 overs.
Only Ash Gardner (29 off 21), who was sent up the order, showed similar intent when Australia lost wickets at regular intervals.
Alyssa Healy scored 18 (20) in the top order in an opening 36 with Mooney, but she was dropped in the fifth over by Kapp, with Nadine de Klerk caught.
Gardner collapsed with the score on 82, with Sune Luus tacking superbly at long off after 11.5 overs and then Grace Harris (10) bowled by Nonkululeko Mlaba to leave the Aussies on 103 for three after 14.1 overs.
Lanning scored just 10 before being caught in the deep by Chloe Tryonin in the 18th over, while Ellyse Perry (7) and Georgia Wareham (0) were dismissed by Shabnim Ismail in the final over.
Ismail finished with 2/26 in four, while Kapp took 2/35, also in four.