Australia won the title of Women’s T20 World Cup champion for the sixth time. Australian all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner become Player of the Tournament: Australia have become Women’s T20 World Cup champions once again after denying South Africa in front of a packed crowd at Newlands in Cape Town on Sunday. Beth Mooney posted 156/6 with 74* as the world’s top-ranked team, and a fine bowling performance saw South Africa chase down their target, falling 20 runs short of their target Is.
Their win means Australia have now won six Women’s T20 World Cup titles, and have completed a ‘three-peat’ in 2018, 2020 and now 2023 under the captaincy of Meg Lanning. Defending a target of 157, Australia’s bowlers reduced the score rate of South Africa’s openers early in the reply, conceding just 22 runs in the powerplay and the in-form Tazmin Brits being caught in the dugout by the electric Darcy Brown. Sent back.
A Brown catch off the bowling of Ash Gardner dismissed Marijan Kapp for 11 runs, as South Africa struggled to increase the scoring rate, with ten overs still needed for 105 runs for the visitors. Laura Wolvaardt’s brilliance threatened to bring South Africa back into the game as she continued to hit big shots to score a 48-ball 61.
However Megan Schutt removed Wolvaardt and Jess Jonassen cleaned up the dangerous Chloe Tryon (25 off 23) as South Africa’s required rate of scoring in the death overs proved too high. And Australia saw it off comfortably in the end, winning by 19 runs to add yet more silverware to the team’s burgeoning trophy cabinet.
Australian all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner become Player of the Tournament.
Australia women’s cricket team all-rounder Ashley Gardner is the winner of the ICC Player of the Tournament award for her stupendous all-round efforts during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023. The outstanding Gardner took ten wickets and scored 110 runs in Australia’s winning campaign, playing a key role in helping the team secure their sixth Women’s T20 World Cup title.
The 25-year-old also excelled in the final, scoring a 21-ball 29 to give some momentum to the Australian innings after being promoted to number three, and took an impressive 1/20 from his four overs of off-spin. Help keep the South African batsmen away. Gardner and Australia successfully defended their total of 156/6 to win Sunday’s final by 19 runs.
This was Australia’s sixth win in Women’s T20 World Cup history and completed a hat-trick of tournament wins under skipper Meg Lanning after their triumphs in 2018 and 2020.
“We have been longing for this moment,” Gardner said after being named the Player of the Tournament.
“Personal accolades are great but I am proud of this win. Words cannot describe how proud I am of the group. We talk about evolving as individuals and growing the game globally. There is so much fun in playing cricket for your country.
“This is something I am going to be proud of later in life.”