That will be all for our live coverage of the 2023 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. The Australian juggernaut rolls on, as another World Cup comes and goes without Meg Lanning and Co losing a game.

TOSS: Meg Lanning opts to bat first, both teams unchanged from semifinals. 

Australia 156-6 in 20 overs (B. Mooney 74 not out; S. Ismail 2-26, M. Kapp 2-35) v South Africa 137-6 in 20 overs (L. Wolvaardt 61)

Result: Australia won by 19 runs

Player of the match: Beth Mooney

Player of the tournament: Ash Gardner

Australia are champions of ICC Women’s T20 World Cup for the sixth time: Here are some reactions as Lanning and Co keep up their incredible run.

South Africa 137/6 (20 overs): Fittingly, Gardner finishes things off for Australia. 4-0-20-1 after her superb innings at No 3. AUS WIN BY 19 RUNS!

South Africa 130/6 (19 overs): Schutt all but seals the deal for Australia.

SA need need 35 from 12 balls.

South Africa 122/6 (18 overs): WICKET! Ellyse, elite. Gun throw and it is a run out on the second run. Bosch run out Perry and Healy 1 (2 balls)

South Africa 121/5 (17.4 overs): WICKET! And that’s the big one Aussies wanted. Tryon hits a big six but is bowled soon after just as the crowd started to hope again. Tryon b Jonassen 25 (23 balls)

43 needed off 18 balls.

South Africa 114/4 (17 overs): De Klerk is the new batter in but it is all about Tryon from here.

South Africa 109/4 (16.3 overs): WICKET! Schutt removes Wolvaardt. Was anyway going to be tough for SA but that makes it all the more so. Plumb in front, review lost. Wolvaardt lbw b Schutt 61 (48 balls)

South Africa 104/3 (16 overs): Top over from Gardner. 53 off 24 balls needed now.

South Africa 98/3 (15 overs): Last 3 overs, the rate has been 13.00. Another good over for SA, two fours for Wolvaardt off Brown who finishes with 4-0-25-1.

HALF CENTURY: Effectively, three knockout matches on the trot for South Africa and three half centuries for Laura Wolvaardt.

South Africa 88/3 (14 overs): Another good over for SA, well well. A delightful no-look six from Wolvaardt down the ground off Wareham.

South Africa 73/3 (13 overs): Correction

South Africa 73/3 (13 overs): Just the sort of over that SA needed to keep the crowd going. Help from McGrath in the form of no balls and free hits, Wolvaardt hits a six. Perry saves what should have been another. Wolvaardt actually misses out off the last two balls, dots

South Africa 59/3 (12 overs): Just 4 runs off Jonassen’s over.

South Africa 54/3 (10.4): WICKET! And that is the pressure starting to exert more and more. Massive miscommunication, two batters running towards the same end. Luus run out Mooney and Healy 2 (5 balls)

South Africa 52/2 (10 overs): Wolvaardt keeping the home fans interested, a four in that Wareham over, but this is running away from them. Required rate is 10.50 now.

South Africa 46/1 (9 overs): WICKET! No batting magic from Kapp in a final as Gardner takes the big wicket. Goes for a slog, seemed like there was some drift, and the leading edge goes to short-third. Kapp c Brown b Gardner 11 (11 balls)

South Africa 40/1 (8 overs): A delightful, signature Wolvaardt moment. Lofted for six off Jonassen.

South Africa 31/1 (7 overs): Hint of a momentum for South Africa. Four each for Wolvaardt and Kapp in that Brown over.

South Africa 22/1 (6 overs): A superb powerplay for Australia, even though Kapp gets going with a good shot for four. This partnership really needs to step up for the hosts and quickly.

South Africa 17/1 (5 overs): WICKET! And the pressure pays off. Brits wasn’t just able to get going and there is no acceleration today like there was on Friday. Brits c McGrath b Brown 10 (17 balls)

South Africa 13/0 (4 overs): At this point, misfield is top scoring for SA. This time Harris at short-fine, and that should have been stopped. Otherwise dot balls galore in Perry’s over.

South Africa 8/0 (3 overs): Another quiet over. Superb from Brown. SA unable to get going in the chase, but this is not too dissimilar from their start against England (except they were batting first)

South Africa 6/0 (2 overs): Ash Gardner with a tight over, typically slow start from SA. They’d want to keep wickets in tact but this will please Aussies. A close call for LBW against Wolvaardt who survives on umpire’s call.

South Africa 4/0 (1 over): A good shot down the ground for Wolvaardt but a misfield helps her to a four off Schutt’s over.

So much will depend on the start South Africa can get. Both Wolvaardt and Brits are not quick off the blocks but they have laid good platforms in the last two matches.

Correction: Australia 156/6

Australia 156/6 after 20 overs: Still think this is already beyond their batting lineup in a World Cup final run-chase but what a solid effort on the field by South Africa. PS: In an ideal world, this should have been around the score India should have been chasing too in the semifinal.

Australia 156/6 after 20 overs: What a comeback by Ismail. Dismisses Perry (caught at midwicket) and Wareham ((bowled) off two straight deliveries and keeps McGrath to one off the last ball. 4-1-26-2 in a final is superb. Mooney finishes 74* off 53 balls.

Australia 154/4 after 19.2 overs: What a start to the last over from Mooney. A six and a four down to ground off Ismail.

Australia 144/4: Correction to the score. And SA will have to bowl the last over with one fewer fielder outside.

Australia 144/4 (19 overs): Decent over from Khaka but great running by Mooney and Perry.

Australia 134/4 (18 overs): Half century for Mooney but more importantly, couple of fours in that over. Expensive from Kapp but she has picked up two huge wickets. 4-0-35-2

Australia 122/4 (17.1 overs): WICKET! The short stuff works again. Tryon with a superb catch and SA continue to impress on the field. And Kapp adds Lanning to Healy for her wickets today. Lanning c Tryon b Kapp 10 (11 balls)

Australia 122/3 (17 overs): What a fantastic over from Khaka, just 4 off it. That is gold at this stage. The pace off is working like a treat.

Australia 118/3 (16 overs): Not for the first time today, the ball misses Mooney’s stumps by a whisker and not for the first time, she puts it aside to find the gap for a four after that. Slightly costly over from Ismail.

Australia 110/3 (15 overs): Lanning gets going with a square cut for four. Of course.

Australia 103/3 (14.1 overs): WICKET! That is another big wicket. Harris could potentially take it away too, but dug it in short and the ball keeps low and the batter is clean bowled. Harris b Mlaba 10 (9 balls)

Australia 103/2 (14 overs): One can’t help but (AGAIN) be in awe of this Australian team’s batting strength. Big final, and the flexibility to push two big-hitters up and hold back batters of Lanning, Perry and McGrath’s quality. Incredible depth. A four for Harris in that Tryon over.

Australia 92/2 (13 overs): De Klerk was great in the semifinal but she has been targetted today. Mooney with back-to-back fours. And Aussies have promoted to Harris too. You can’t help but be envious of the options they have.

Australia 83/2 (12 overs): WICKET! Huge wicket. The bowling change works for Luus and she is the one underneath this skier. What a take. Tryon is pumped. End of a fine knock though. Gardner c Luus b Tryon 29 (21 balls)

Australia 79/1 (11 overs): A tidy over from Kapp, once again lot of short and off-pace stuff like we saw in the semifinals. Presume we’d see a lot of that from Brown, Perry et al.

Australia 73/1 (10 overs): It’s not been easy so far for Mooney but she finds the boundary through the cover that she has been trying for, in that Khaka over. What felt like a good powerplay for South Africa, has now become a great first half for Australia.

Australia 66/1 (9 overs): BACK TO BACK SIXES! What a call from Australia to move Ash Gardner to No 3 ahead of the captain. Needed some momentum has instantly provided that. Incredible, 26* off 13 and mission already accomplished. The allrounder tees off against de Klerk. Nearly took out Mooney at the non-striker’s end too.

Australia 53/1 (8 overs): Nadine was brilliant in the semifinal and she is off to a tidy start post powerplay. Mlaba comes back into the attack next and it seem the pressure is building on Australia... and just at the end of that over, Gardner (promoted to No 3 ahead of Lanning) puts away a short ball. Followed by another superb hit through cover. AUS back on the charge after a good spell for the hosts.

Australia 36/1 (6 overs): MAIDEN! Ismail has done it again. What a bowler. A big wicket for Marizanne Kapp as she dismisses Alyssa Healy and a maiden over from Shabnim Ismail to follow. AUS: 36/1 at the end of the powerplay The hosts can be rather pleased with that, surely?

Mel Jones with ‘The big-game player gets the big-game player’ line on air as Kapp dismisses Healy. The roar from Kapp and the fans was quite something.

Australia 36/1 (5 overs): WICKET! A big over for Australia, ends with the big wicket of Healy. Kapp goes for runs, with a four each for the openers, but the SA allrounder gets the breakthrough. Short ball, Healy lobs it to cover. Healy c de Klerk b Kapp 18 (20 balls)

Australia 25/0 (4 overs): A largely decent start for South Africa, but Australia scoring a four in each of the first four overs. The platform is being laid. Khaka nearly hits the stump as Mooney misses one but a good over is spoiled by a four off the last ball.

Australia 18/0 (3 overs): Kapp starts with a wide, there is another four in the over, this one for Mooney but SA are keeping things largely tight.

Australia 12/0 (2 overs): One short and wide from Ismail, and helped over point for four by Healy. SA love a review going for a LBW appeal against Healy. Did look close but missing leg.

Australia 5/0 (1 over): A good comeback from Mlaba after the four, where she strayed down leg. Around middle and off is good.

A second-ball boundary for Healy. One ball later than she is used to, we suppose.

Nearly time: To imagine South Africa started this tournament with a defeat against Sri Lanka. What a turnaround. South Africa’s biggest challenge today I imagine is to start well. Such a quick turnaround after a hugely emotional semifinal, a massive occasion, against a side who can take the match away from you in the blink of an eye. Mlaba to start. Healy and Mooney in the middle.

  • Australia are unbeaten in this tournament, so far, and have won 19 of their last 20 women’s T20Is. This is also the seventh consecutive time that they have qualified for an ICC Women’s T20 World Cup final. The Meg Lanning-led side will be confident of lifting the silverware for a record sixth time.
  • As for South Africa, this is their first appearance in the final of an ICC Women’s T20 World Cup (any senior World Cup final, actually). They were defeated by this Australian side in the group stage encounter. However, they will be eager to leverage their home conditions and carry their confidence from the semi-final win to get hold of the trophy for the first time.

— Sportradar

Head to head: The two teams have faced each other six times in women’s T20Is, with all those matches happening at the World Cup, and Australia emerged victorious on each occasion.

SA vs Australia at ICC Women's T20 World Cup

Result Margin Toss Ground Start Date
Aus won 24 runs Aus Taunton 16 Jun 2009
Aus won 24 runs SA Basseterre 7 May 2010
Aus won 6 wickets SA Sylhet 25 Mar 2014
Aus won 6 wickets SA Nagpur 18 Mar 2016
Aus won 5 runs SA Sydney 5 Mar 2020
Aus won 6 wickets Aus Gqeberha 18 Feb 2023

Both teams unchanged

Australia XI: Alyssa Healy (wk), Beth Mooney, Meg Lanning (c), Ash Gardner, Ellyse Perry, Tahlia McGrath, Grace Harris, Georgia Wareham, Jess Jonassen, Megan Schutt, Darcie Brown

South Africa XI: Laura Wolvaardt, Tazmin Brits, Marizanne Kapp, Sune Luus (c), Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Anneke Bosch, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Shabnim Ismail, Ayabonga Khaka, Nonkululeko Mlaba 

Australia have reigned supreme in five of the seven ICC Women’s T20 World Cups but have never previously faced the hosts in the showpiece.

Lanning and her teammates are expecting little support when they step out at Newlands on Sunday but they are up for the challenge.

“There is pressure on everyone, it’s a World Cup final,” she said.

“South Africa are playing really good cricket. We are expecting them to come out and play to their full strength.

“They are riding a wave of emotion so we’re certainly prepared for that.

“Their semi-final against England had an incredible atmosphere and the crowd was certainly cheering for the home team, as you’d expect here, so we are prepared for that.

“We know we’re probably not going to be the team that everyone is cheering for but that’s fine, you know it’s going to be an incredible atmosphere and an incredible game at an amazing venue. 

“We’re pumped, we can’t wait to get out there and play and no doubt it’s going to be a great contest.”

Australia reached their seventh consecutive final after a nail-biting five-run win over India, a victory Lanning described as “one of the best.”

— via ICC

Luus will go where no South African has gone before at Newlands on Sunday as she prepares to lead her side out in their first-ever ICC World Cup final.

The Proteas held their nerve to beat England by six runs in Friday’s semi-final and will be backed by a passionate Cape Town crowd as they look to get the better of the reigning champions.

“It has been an amazing tournament so far, on and off the field,” Luus said.

“The goal for us was to inspire the nation, to get women’s cricket in South Africa on the map, for young girls and boys to pick up their bat and ball and, and I guess just for women’s sport in general in South Africa to be raised and to be on the map as well.

“In terms of that, we are definitely doing the job. It’s something we never thought would happen in our country, people standing in queues to buy tickets for a women’s cricket match. It’s very special.

“I don’t think we can do much more to show that we are serious about women’s cricket in this country. Winning the final would be the ultimate cherry on the top.”

— via ICC

Officials: India will be represented in the final, with GS Lakshmi named the match referee. Kim Cotton and Jacqueline Williams on field umpires, Sue Redfern TV umpire

Most matches as captains women's T20Is

Captain Mat Won Lost Tied NR
*MM Lanning 100 75 18 1 5
*H Kaur 96 54 37 1 4
*CM Edwards 93 68 23 1 1
Statsguru

TOSS: South Africa have been asked to bowl first, as Meg Lanning wins the toss.

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the 2023 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup where hosts South Africa take on Meg Lanning’s mighty Australia.

South Africa contest their very first senior cricket World Cup final at Newlands in Cape Town on Sunday. 

The hosts reached the final of the 2023 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup with a thrilling six-run win over England but now they will be up against Australia, a team of proven World Cup winners, who have won five of the previous six T20 finals.

The Aussies also had a tight semi-final when they edged past India by just five runs but they are loaded with experience which their captain Meg Lanning believes will help them in the pressure moments. 

— AFP

Screenshots in the blog courtesy: Disney+Hotstar and ICC match center

With stats, photos and text inputs from ICC Business Corporation FZ LLC 2020 via Online Media Zone.