Women's T20 WC: Unchanged Australia opt to bowl against England in final
London, July 5
Australia won the toss and elected to bowl first against England in the Women's T20 World Cup 2026 final at Lord's Cricket Stadium on Sunday. Both teams have not made any changes to their playing XI.
The high-stakes encounter marks the fourth time these two cricketing powerhouses will contest the tournament's summit clash, having previously met in the 2012, 2014, and 2018 finals - all won by Australia.
Six-time champions Australia enter the title decider as firm favourites after maintaining a flawless tournament record with six consecutive victories. Led by Sophie Molineux, who took over the captaincy following Alyssa Healy's retirement in March, Australia entered the final with a commanding eight-wicket win over the West Indies at The Oval.
The Nat Sciver-Brunt-led side are aiming to capture their second T20 World Cup crown, and repeat their historic triumph from the inaugural edition at this very venue back in 2009. Under a revamped coaching setup led by Charlotte Edwards, this refreshed England lineup looks to break a three-year jinx against Australia, who have dominated recent head-to-head encounters with eight successive wins across formats.
After winning the toss, Australia skipper Sophie Molineux said, "We're going to have a bowl. Beautiful day, want to put pressure on them early. Don't think the pitch will change too much. No changes. Pez (Perry) pulled up well after the training yesterday. Special day. The girls got a couple of days off. Started training the last couple of days."
After losing the toss, England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt said, "Was going to bowl as well. It's a fresh wicket - runs on the board in the final is no bad thing. We're unchanged. Will be silly on me not to lean on that experience. One more run than the opposition, I suppose."
Playing XIs:
England: Amy Jones(wk), Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Nat Sciver-Brunt(c), Alice Capsey, Heather Knight, Freya Kemp, Danielle Gibson, Charlotte Dean, Sophie Ecclestone, Linsey Smith, Lauren Bell
Australia: Georgia Voll, Beth Mooney(wk), Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Ashleigh Gardner, Georgia Wareham, Annabel Sutherland, Nicola Carey, Sophie Molineux(c), Kim Garth, Lucy Hamilton
— IANS
Reader Comments
As an England fan, I'm nervous but hopeful. Sciver-Brunt's experience as captain is invaluable, and Charlotte Dean's all-round skills could be the X-factor. Australia's unbeaten streak is impressive, but finals are a different beast. Come on England! 🇬🇧
Australia's dominance in women's cricket is something else - three consecutive T20 World Cup wins would be a phenomenal achievement. But I feel for England; they've been building nicely under Edwards' coaching. Let's see if the revamped lineup can finally break the jinx. India should take notes on how to build a consistent winning culture!
Interesting toss decision - both captains wanted to bowl first! Fresh wicket might offer some early movement, and Australia's pace attack can exploit that. England's batting depth with Kemp and Gibson looks strong though. Expecting a close contest. 🏏
Finally, a Women's T20 World Cup final that feels like a proper event! Lord's, packed crowd, and two top teams going head-to-head. Australia might be favourites, but England have that home advantage. Also, great to see Charlotte Dean and Sophie Ecclestone in the XI - our very own spinners could learn a thing or two from them. 💪
Respectful criticism: I think England's batting order might be too reliant on Sciver-Brunt. Jones and Wyatt-Hodge need to fire at the top, otherwise Australia's bowling depth could overwhelm them. On the other hand, Australia's batting looks solid all the way down to number 10. Still, finals are unpredictable - should be a cracker of a match!