Australia have won the Women’s T20 World Cup after thrashing India in an historic final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
A whopping 86,174 fans packed the famous stadium, one of the highest attendances in the history of women’s sport, as the host nation secured their fifth title with an 85-run victory.
Opener Alyssa Healy hit a stunning 75 off 39 balls, sharing a century stand with Beth Mooney, who added 78 off 54, as the hosts posted a commanding total of 184-4, comfortably the highest score in a final in the competition’s history.
That left India needing to get off to a flying start, but from the moment they lost 16-year-old star opener Shafali Verma to the third ball of the innings an already unlikely chase became nigh-on impossible.
Wickets fell at regular intervals with Australia superb in the field as Megan Schutt took three-for-18 from her three overs, while Jess Jonassen picked up four wickets, including that of Poonam Yadav to victory in the final over, India all-out for 99.
Organisers had hoped to mark International Women’s Day by breaking the world record for the biggest crowd at a standalone female sporting event, but fell short of the 90,185 that watched the 1999 Fifa Women’s World Cup final at the Rose Bowl, USA.
