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Australia Women registered a 19-run victory against South Africa in the final and lifted the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2023 in Cape Town on Sunday, February 26.
The defending champions batted first in the contest after winning the toss. On a sluggish surface, Australia reached a decent total of 156/6 on the back of Beth Mooney's (74*) anchoring knock. Shabnim Ismail and Marizanne Kapp picked up two wickets apiece for the hosts.
The South African batters then struggled to score freely against disciplined Australian bowlers and could only get to 137/6 in 20 overs. Laura Wolvaardt (61) hit a magnificent half-century and tried her best, but she did not receive any support from other batters.
The Australian contingent in the dugout ran into the ground as soon as the match concluded to celebrate the monumental victory jubilantly.
You can catch a glimpse of the celebrations in the video below:
"When the pressure is on, we have to step up and that's what we did"- Australia captain Meg Lanning after winning her fifth World Cup as captain
Speaking at the post-match presentation, trophy-winning captain Meg Lanning reflected on the memorable victory and lauded her teammates for putting in special efforts.
She highlighted the powerplay bowling performance as the turning point in the chase on Sunday. The Aussie bowlers restricted South Africa to a paltry score of 22/1 in the first six overs to lay the foundation for the victory. Reviewing their triumphant campaign, Lanning said:
"It's a pretty special effort from the group. We knew teams would come hard at us throughout the tournament and had to respond. We felt like it was a good score because the wicket wasn't as good as it was in the semi-finals. Our powerplay was excellent and that really set the tone. It's about enjoying the opportunity and focusing on what we're doing."
She added:
"When the pressure is on, we have to step up and that's what we did. Certainly nice to finish off with a win with this group. It's a special group. Not just the player but also the support staff, who allow us to play our cricket and enjoy ourselves. Also, the family friends, we have a few out here but also to have the support from back home, it's brilliant."
