'Future's really bright' - England upbeat despite being 'outplayed' in T20 final
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Australia beat England by seven wickets at Lord's to win a record-extending seventh Women's T20 World Cup title, chasing down 151 with 17 balls to spare in the sell-out final.
- Beth Mooney top-scored with 64 and shared an unbroken century stand with Phoebe Litchfield (48) as Australia breezed to their target after England's 150-4.
- England were sent in and slipped to 70-4 before captain Nat Sciver-Brunt (58 not out) and Freya Kemp (44 not out) added an unbroken 80-run partnership to salvage 150-4.
- Sciver-Brunt said her side were "outplayed" and that the bowlers and batters "would probably want to do a bit better," while insisting the gap to Australia "is probably closer than that [result] shows."
- England had entered the final unbeaten, winning all five group matches and beating South Africa by 40 runs in the semi-finals, making the Lord's defeat their first and only loss of the tournament.
- Charlotte Edwards, head coach and captain of England's 2009 World Cup-winning side, said the "future's really bright" and praised significant improvements in younger players since she took the role last spring.
- Attention now turns to the first-ever women's Test match at Lord's, where England host India starting Friday, live on Sky Sports.
Why it matters: England's unbeaten run through the tournament — five group wins and a 40 rout of South Africa in the semi-final — shows the gap to Australia has narrowed under Charlotte Edwards, even if the final scoreline flattered the champions. Australia's record seventh title extends their dominance, but Edwards' focus on youth-driven progress signals a tightening rivalry ahead of next week's historic women's Test at Lord's.
