London, July 4 (IANS) Australia captain Sophie Molineux says a final decision on Ellyse Perry’s availability for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 final against hosts England will be taken on match day, but remains confident the veteran all-rounder can still make a significant impact even if she is unable to bowl.

Australia and England will reignite one of women’s cricket’s biggest rivalries when they meet in the title match at Lord’s on Sunday. Both teams have remained unbeaten throughout the tournament, leading their groups before winning convincingly in the semi-finals, setting up an exciting finale.

Perry suffered a quad injury during Australia’s eight-wicket semi-final win over West Indies and had to retire hurt, raising concerns about her fitness for the final. However, Molineux confirmed that the 35-year-old completed a full training session on Saturday.

“She (Perry) went through a bit of a test for the final. She trained really well today, batted, and bowled. We’ll check tomorrow and see how she feels,” Molineux said.

The Australian captain mentioned that Perry’s batting alone could justify her spot even if she can’t bowl.

“It’d be great if she could bowl for us, but with our bowling depth, we feel covered in that area. Her T20 World Cup performance with the bat has been incredible; she’s won a couple of games for us. I think her batting, even if she’s not bowling, will still be a huge plus for us.”

Australia returns to the Women’s T20 World Cup final for the first time since 2023 after missing out in 2024. Despite having a team full of experienced players, Molineux believes the team’s improvement since last year’s ODI World Cup semi-final loss to India has driven their success.

“The group has grown over the last three to four months,” she said. “We’ve freed ourselves up a bit to play openly and showcase our skills. It’s a very smart cricket team.”

Standing between Australia and a record-extending seventh Women’s T20 World Cup title is an unbeaten England side playing in front of a large home crowd at the Home of Cricket. Molineux acknowledged the challenge but feels her team is prepared.

“They’ve played some excellent cricket lately, and they seem full of confidence with 30,000 English fans here at Lord’s,” she said.

“We know it’s going to be an incredible challenge, but it will also be a really special day. We match up well against them.”

History adds another interesting element to Sunday’s final. Australia leads England 5-2 in Women’s T20 World Cup matchups and has won all three previous T20 World Cup finals between the two rivals. However, England has never lost a Women’s World Cup final – ODI or T20 – on home soil.

–IANS

hs/