London, July 6 (IANS) England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt admitted her side was outplayed by a more experienced Australian team after the hosts went down by seven wickets in the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 final at Lord’s on Sunday, but said there was still plenty for England to be proud of after an impressive tournament.

Sciver-Brunt led from the front with an unbeaten 58 off 53 balls to help England post 150/4 after being put into bat. However, Australia chased down the target comfortably in 17.1 overs, with Beth Mooney scoring a match-winning 64 and sharing a 100-run partnership with Phoebe Litchfield to secure a record-extending seventh Women’s T20 World Cup title.

“Hugely disappointed. We’ve had such a great competition up to this point. We were outplayed today by a class Australian side that used their experience in a huge final,” Sciver-Brunt said after the match.

The England skipper felt the toss played a role but admitted her team fell short of a competitive total on a surface that was not easy for batting.

“Ideally I’d have won the toss, and we’d be bowling first. But we were short of a par score on that wicket. It felt tricky to gain momentum with the bat. I guess when the pressure’s on, their bowlers hit their areas,” she said.

Sciver-Brunt was also full of praise for Australia’s Player of the Match Beth Mooney, whose 64 off 49 balls took the game away from England.

“Beth Mooney was superb, a brilliant innings today as well,” she added.

Asked whether she expected Australia to attack from the outset during the chase, Sciver-Brunt said it was always part of the defending champions’ approach.

“Yeah, absolutely. They’ve got a powerful lineup with the bat,” she said.

Despite the disappointment of losing the final, Sciver-Brunt praised the effort and unity shown by the England squad throughout the tournament.

“We’ve got so much to be proud of. We’ve done so much work pre-tournament. The energy throughout the group… we played some brilliant matches. It’s a proper group of players that care about each other,” she said.

England finished runners-up after an impressive campaign, while Sciver-Brunt ended the tournament on a personal high with a half-century in the final after also scoring a fifty in the semifinal, becoming the first England player to achieve the feat in both knockout matches of a Women’s T20 World Cup.

–IANS

sds/