Australia Clinches Women’s World T20 Title with Victory Over England in 2012
Australia successfully defended their Women’s World T20 championship by securing a hard-fought 4-run victory against England in Colombo.
The thrilling match showcased Australia’s dominance with both bat and ball, handing England only their second defeat in 25 completed T20 internationals leading up to the final.
England Women 138 for 9 (Edwards 28, Jonassen 3-25) lost against Australia Women 142 for 4 (Cameron 45, Sthalekar 23*).
Australia defeated England by 4 runs in Colombo to win the Women’s World T20 championship. Australia, the Caribbean tournament winners in 2010, showed promise in the field, at bat, and with the ball as they defeated England for the second time in their previous 25 T20 international matches.
Although England has had a great record over the last 18 months or so, they were uneasy in this match. Australia led the entire time. They had set a formidable target, bowled with precision and retained their composure just enough as England’s desperate run chase was derailed by a string of deep catches.
In the end, England might have managed to steal a victory. As their nerves began to show, Australia made four catches in the last few overs, the most memorable of which was Blackwell’s dropping of Arran Brindle. Erin Osborne also donated a head-high full-toss for a no-ball in the final over, and England might have won had Danielle Hazel hit the last ball for six. But all she could do was misjudge the ball to midwicket, letting Australia’s women win the trophy.
Honestly, England had done quite well to come this close. Throughout their innings, they had lagged behind the pace and the difference would have been even bigger if Jenny Gunn hadn’t had some beautiful hitting in the final overs. Even with Osborne’s no-ball and Jess Jonassen’s easy catch, Gunn had reduced the equation from 35 required from three to 16 in the last over. Nevertheless, England had consistently left themselves with too much to accomplish.
England might also be reflecting on how poorly they decided to include Australia after winning the toss. Although England had a great record when batting second, they enabled Australia to establish a dominant total on a good batting surface and then collapsed under the burden of chasing against a well-organized attack and a tight fielding unit.
In their 63 T20 match history, they had just three times successfully pursued more than 142 to win, and on the grandest platform, it proved to be beyond their capabilities. England will undoubtedly regret sending down no ball and eight wides as well. Considering the final margin of victory, those extras would turn out to be expensive.
The opening batters for Australia set the tone with a 51-run partnership off of 41 deliveries. Meg Lanning took 16 from the third over of the innings, capitalizing on some unusually loose bowling from Katherine Brunt. Alyssa Healy pulled another boundary through square leg, but Brunt drove through the cover twice for boundaries. Brunt also gave a front foot no-ball throughout the over. After six Powerplay overs, Australia reached 47 for 0, with England’s spinners unable to stop the run flow.
The breakthrough came with the introduction of Holly Colvin’s left-arm spin. Laura Marsh, the fourth spinner brought into the assault by the eighth over of the innings, might have had Healey caught at deep-square leg, but the pull dropped just short of Shurbsole. Lanning, trying to knock over the top, could only clip a return catch to the bowler. Australia were 68 for 1 midway through their innings.
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Jess Cameron quickly found her rhythm. She whisked Marsh to the boundary and then drove her for another, skipping down the pitch. Healey was dismissed after failing to pull, but Cameron, who amassed Australia’s highest innings of the tournament with 45 from 34 deliveries, reached the 100 mark with a masterful reverse sweep off Marsh for four. He then slog-swept Shurbsole for six, then ramped and pulled her for fours in an over that cost 17.
The best bowler, Colvin, had Cameron caught at long-on, but Australia set a tough target of 142 thanks to a further four from Alex Blackwell off Wyatt and two wickets from Lisa Sthalekar.
England’s pursuit was always slower than the rate. They managed a boundary in each of the first four overs but failed to amass any singles, and Marsh, annoyed at the increasing pace at which they needed to run, was out when she misjudged a drive and gave the bowler a return catch.
Still, Charlotte Edwards had a great appearance. She had already struck the opening ball of the innings for four when Perry drifted on to her legs, clipping another over midwicket. When Osborne’s offspin was introduced, she took two strides down the pitch and lofted the bowler over long-on for six. England were 34 for 1 after their six Powerplay overs when she lofted four more balls over the head of the same bowler two balls later.
But as the Powerplay came to a finish, the field widened, and Edwards’ effort to clip Sthalekar’s flirtatious off-breaks over the top was caught by long-on. England was constantly behind the game as Ellyse Perry produced an outswinger to account for the dangerous Sarah Taylor, edging an attempted drive. Lydia Greenway also fell victim to a catch in the deep, while Danny Wyatt was beautifully saved at cover by a diving Blackwell.
