Australia’s successful campaign in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 ended on a historic note as Beth Mooney delivered another memorable performance in the final against England at Lord’s on Sunday (July 5). The wicketkeeper-batter played a crucial role in Australia’s seven-wicket victory and, in the process, etched her name into the record books with a milestone never achieved before in ICC T20 World Cup history.
Opening the innings during Australia’s chase of 151, Beth Mooney scored a composed 64 runs from 49 balls. Her knock included 10 boundaries and laid the foundation for a comfortable chase, as Australia reached the target in just 17.1 overs with three wickets to spare. She also shared a match-winning 100-run partnership for the second wicket with Phoebe Litchfield, who made an impressive contribution to keep England out of the contest.
Beth Mooney’s latest half-century was more than just a match-winning effort. It made her the first player in the history of the ICC T20 World Cups, across both men’s and women’s cricket, to register three 50-plus scores in tournament finals. She went past India star Virat Kohli, who previously shared the record with Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara and former West Indies batter Marlon Samuels, all of whom had scored two half-centuries each in Men’s T20 World Cup finals.
The Australian star had earlier scored an unbeaten 78 against India in the 2020 Women’s T20 World Cup final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. She followed it up with another unbeaten innings of 74 from 53 balls against South Africa in the 2023 final at Newlands in Cape Town on February 26. Her latest knock of 64 against England completed a remarkable hat-trick of 50-plus scores in Women’s T20 World Cup finals. No player in women’s cricket had previously managed multiple 50-plus scores in the final of the tournament.
Beth Mooney also climbed to the top of another elite list. Her 64-run innings took her tally to 230 runs in Women’s T20 World Cup finals across four innings in five matches, the highest combined total in T20 World Cup finals for both men’s and women’s cricket. She now leads former Australia captain Meg Lanning by 55 runs and former West Indies batter Marlon Samuels by 67 runs.
For her outstanding batting performance in the title clash, Beth Mooney was named the Player of the Match. She also capped off a memorable tournament by winning the Player of the Tournament award, further underlining her impact in Australia’s record-breaking campaign.
