Australia's women rule the cricketing firmament once again, with Sophie Molineux's team being hailed one of the best ever as they annexed the T20 World Cup in glorious fashion for a seventh time by outclassing hosts England at Lord's.
In front of a sell-out crowd of nearly 29,000 on what Molineux hailed as a red-letter day for world cricket, her side roared to a wholly one-sided seven-wicket victory, fuelled by a brilliant century partnership between Beth Mooney and Phoebe Litchfield.
It helped turn their pursuit on Sunday (Monday AEST) of England's sub-par 4-150 into a cakewalk as opener Mooney proved her matchless big-game temperament once more with a fourth successive half-century in a global final, powering to 64 off 49 balls before they breezed to their target on 3-153 with 17 balls to spare.
Mooney, voted player-of-the-match and player-of-the tournament, and Litchfield, who hit 48 off 35, including a glorious switch-hit six that was the highlight-reel shot of the event, put on exactly 100 for the second wicket, bringing up their century stand off 66 balls and effectively destroying English hope.
It was a complete performance, started by miserly, suffocating bowling and completed by attacking, audacious batting that left losing captain Nat Sciver admitting, when asked if this was one of the great T20 sides: "I think so. The amount of depth they have is something every team would dream of."
Molineux, whose choice as national captain to take the reins from Alyssa Healy had been questioned because of her injury woes, answered in triumphant fashion, inspiring her unbeaten side to seven straight victories without anyone laying a glove on them.
"It's been an incredibly special day," she said, having been left in tears after a hug with her dad who'd watched with pride in the stands.
"I'm just so, so proud of the group. We haven't won one of these for a while, I hope it becomes one of the great sides."
There was only one sour note all day as Australia were just seven runs from victory, when England's Sophie Ecclestone looked to have taken a catch to get rid of Ellyse Perry at mid-off, but after a long review, the great allrounder was reprieved because the third umpire wasn't convinced it had been taken cleanly.
It looked a good catch. Ecclestone was furious, remonstrating on-field, and so were the crowd, who broke into now-familiar Lord's booing of the old enemy.
Yet Perry, playing in her seventh triumph in nine finals, was still at the crease at the end, 13no, when Ecclestone sent a wide spinning to the boundary for the winning runs.
"It has been a joy to be a part of this team with Sophie leading in her first World Cup. This has been a privilege of a lifetime," said 35-year-old Perry.
It ends a rare spell without a global trophy in either the 50-over or 20-over game for Australia, who last lifted the T20 crown in 2023. Once more, they were in a different league to the hosts, whose record in seven white-ball World Cup 'Ashes' finals now reads England 0 Australia 7.
"This legacy of Australian cricket will go on for decades," said the brilliant Litchfield.
"Internally, we knew we were a bloody good side, and Sophie has done an incredible job, setting us up physically and mentally."
