Daily Bangla Times : Australia has won a sixth Women’s T20 World Cup title after defeating South Africa by 19 runs at Newlands on Sunday, with an unbeaten half-century from Player of the Match Beth Mooney ensuring the defending champions secured a coveted three-peat.

The hosts fell short of the 157-run target despite a stellar batting performance from opener Laura Wolvaardt, who scored 61 (48) during the chase.

“We’ve been longing for this moment since the last World Cup,” Australian all-rounder Ash Gardner, unveiled as Player of the Tournament, said during the post-match presentation.

“We’ve played some fantastic cricket throughout this tournament. We probably weren’t in winning positions throughout the game, but we scrapped and we fought and we bowled the absolute house down.

“I’m just super proud of this group.”

Meg Lanning becomes the first captain to win five ICC trophies, cementing her status as one of the sport’s modern greats.

“You guys are very annoying,” South African captain Sune Luus joked after the defeat.

“You guys have been inspiring the world of cricket for a very long time. A lot of players look up to you guys, and I think you just showed your class again today, so well deserved, and well done.”

Australia won the toss and elected to bat first, and South Africa called for an early review after Shabmin Ismail struck Alyssa Healy on the front pad in the second over, but Hawkeye suggested the delivery was sliding down leg.

Marizanne Kapp snared an early breakthrough for the hosts in the fifth over when Healy carved a short delivery towards cover, caught for 18 (20).

South Africa packed the off-side field for Mooney and bowled wide of the stumps, and the Australian opener initially struggled to pick the gaps and rotate the strike.

Gardner, elevated to No. 3 for the final, slapped a straight drive into Mooney‘s thigh at the non-striker’s end in the ninth over, but hit the next two deliveries over the boundary rope.

South African vice-captain Chloe Tryon was introduced into the attack in the 12th over and had an immediate impact, with Gardner caught at long off for 29 (21).

Grace Harris was promoted to No. 4, but the ploy backfired – the Queenslander was bowled by spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba for 10 (9) with a delivery that kept low.

Kapp returned in the 18th over and immediately removed Lanning with a short ball that was pulled powerfully towards deep square leg, where Tryon held onto a superb low catch. The Cape Town crowd erupted as Lanning trudged back to the dugout for 10 (11).

Mooney brought up her fifty in the 18th over, reaching the milestone in 44 deliveries. The left-hander becomes the third cricketer to score multiple half-centuries in T20 World Cup finals, joining Kumar Sangakkara and Marlon Samuels on the illustrious list.

South Africa‘s fielding was dynamic and energetic, while the bowlers rarely offered freebies on the slow pitch. Mooney smacked two boundaries in the final over and Ismail snared two wickets as Australia registered 6-156.

South Africa’s run chase got off to a slow start, but a couple of sloppy Australian misfields kept the scoreboard ticking during the Powerplay.

Darcie Brown struck in the fifth over when opener Tazmin Brits (10 off 17 balls) attempted to loft her down the ground, but Tahlia McGrath settled under the regulation catch at mid-on.

Kapp’s stay at the crease was brief, miscuing a slog sweep against Gardner that was top-edged and caught at short third man for 11 (11).

A disastrous run out saw the end of Luus in the 11th over, with both batters stranded in the middle of the pitch after the South African skipper drove firmly towards mid-off. Healy whipped off the bails at the striker’s end, silencing the stunned crowd.

Wolvaardt began to pick up the tempo after the drinks break, but South Africa‘s required run rate continued to climb with every over that passed.

McGrath was plagued by front-foot no-balls in the 13th over, conceding 14 runs as Wolvaardt took advantage of the free hits. The 23-year-old brought up her half-century in the 15th over with a cracking cover drive, muscling another boundary down the ground to send some nerves through the Australian camp.

But the ever-reliable Megan Schutt ended Wolvaardt‘s counterattack in the 17th over, trapping the right-hander on the front pad – a desperate review couldn’t save the South African.

The hosts required 43 from the final three overs, but Tryon fell victim to Jess Jonassen for 25 (23) to swing momentum firmly in Australia‘s favour.

The outcome became an inevitability when Anneke Bosch was run out for 1, after which South Africa never looked like coming close to the target.