Australia were crowned Women's T20 World champions for a record-extending seventh time as they beat England by seven wickets in Sunday's final at Lord's. 

Having restricted England to 150-4 after their 20-over allocation, Beth Mooney (64) and Phoebe Litchfield (48) powered Australia to victory with 17 balls to spare.

England finished as runners-up for a fourth time and last won the trophy back in 2009, and their hopes of victory were dented after a slow start to their batting innings. 

Amy Jones (6) and Danni Wyatt-Hodge (8) were dismissed by the sixth over before Alice Capsey's 20-ball 23 was ended by Sophie Molineux shortly before the halfway point. 

The hosts were reduced to 70-4 by the 11th over when Heather Knight (2) was pinned lbw by Kim Garth (1-20), but England captain Natalie Sciver-Brunt took the game to Australia with an unbeaten knock of 58, while also sharing an 88-run stand with Freya Kemp (44) to give them hope. 

England started brightly with the ball as Georgia Voll (9) fell to Lauren Bell in the second over, but Mooney and Litchfield helped Australia to 62-1 by the end of the powerplay.

Neither Mooney nor Litchfield could guide Australia home, with the pair dismissed by Sophie Ecclestone and Charlie Dean, respectively, but the damage had already been done. 

Ellyse Perry (13 not out), who had earlier survived after Ecclestone was adjudged to have grounded a catch, and Ashleigh Gardner (3 not out) sealed the win with the minimum of fuss.

Australia take the Final. pic.twitter.com/CJVtylEDWu

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 5, 2026

Australia in seventh heaven as England fall short once again

Having fallen at the semi-final stage of the 2024 edition, Australia responded in style here as they pulled off the highest successful chase in a women's T20 final, and it was Mooney who proved key to that. She came up clutch once again with her third consecutive half-century in a T20 World Cup final.

Australia have now won seven of their eight matches in the final of the competition, including their last four in a row, with an eight-wicket loss to the West Indies back in 2016 the only time they have failed to emerge victorious in the showpiece match. 

The Southern Stars also ended England's four-match winning run in women's T20Is played at Lord's, while also extending their unbeaten run over their opponents to five matches at the T20 World Cup having failed to win any of their first three meetings (T1 L2). 

For England, however, they will be left to rue their slow start with the bat, despite Sciver-Brunt and Kemp's fine displays. Their eight-match winning streak in women's T20I's came to a heartbreaking end, though they can look back on this tournament with positivity.