England head coach Charlotte Edwards believes her team has won back the support of cricket fans even though they lost the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 Final to Australia at Lord’s on July 5, 2026 (Sunday).
England were beaten by Australia in the final after an excellent tournament in which they reached the title match without losing a game. Although they missed out on the trophy, Edwards said she is extremely proud of how much the team has improved since she became head coach earlier this year.
Edwards, who captained England to World Cup success during her playing career, took charge after England’s disappointing Ashes tour of Australia in 2025. England lost the multi-format series 16-0, and the team faced strong criticism over their fitness, fielding, attitude and overall performances.
Since taking over as coach, Edwards has made it clear that she wanted to change the team’s image and help the players earn back the trust of supporters. After the final, she said she was proud of how far the team had come, even though they could not beat Australia.
“I couldn’t be prouder of my group or where we’re at,” Edwards told BBC Test Match Special. “People are talking positively about this team now whereas they weren’t when I took over, and that is because of the work and effort that the players have put in behind the scenes. And we’ve won back the fans, because they’ve come out to watch us today, which is outstanding, and I can’t thank the supporters and our families enough.
“We’re not talking about fitness or fielding; I wanted us to talk about the cricket. So, although we’ve missed out today, I don’t think we should be disheartened by that. This is a very, very good Australian team who have dominated world cricket for years and we’re not too far away.”
A crowd of 28,887 watched the final at Lord’s, with both England and Australia entering the match unbeaten in the tournament.
England scored 150 before Australia comfortably chased the target in just 17.1 overs. Beth Mooney once again played a match-winning innings, scoring 64 from 49 balls as Australia claimed a record seventh Women’s T20 World Cup title.
Edwards admitted that her side believed they had given themselves a chance after posting a competitive total, but Australia proved too strong in the end.
“Gutted, really,” Edwards said, when asked for her immediate emotions. “We came here with so much belief and confidence to pull off something really special, and I think we gave ourselves a really good shout, it didn’t look easy to bat on. But they are a very, very good team and we were completely outplayed there in the end.”
Even though England’s campaign ended with disappointment, Edwards believes there were many positives throughout the tournament. England won every group-stage match before producing an outstanding performance against South Africa in the semi-final to book their place in the final.
Australia, who had missed out in the previous two ICC tournaments after losing in the semi-finals, returned to their best form and once again showed why they remain the strongest team in women’s cricket.
Edwards said Australia continue to set the standard for every team, but she believes England are getting closer and can challenge them in the future.
“I’m really proud of the team. Where we’ve come from, the way we’ve played through this tournament – there are so many positives,” she said.
“Australia have led the way for years. They have got the depth that allows them to play that way up the top. You have to be at your best to beat them and we weren’t, hence why they’re lifting the trophy now. There will be [hunger to come back]. I’m really, really proud and our time will come.”
England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt was emotional after the defeat. Earlier in the day, she had walked onto the field carrying her young son Theo before leading England in the biggest match of the tournament.
Although England could not finish with the trophy, Sciver-Brunt said the players should still be proud of everything they achieved during the competition. She believes the team has built a strong group that will come back stronger in future tournaments.
“I’m stood here hugely disappointed. We’ve had such a great competition up to this point so to end like that feels a bit sour in the mouth,” Sciver-Brunt said.
“I think we’ve got so much to be proud of. It’s a proper group of players we’ve got here who really care about each other and playing for England and wearing the shirt with pride. It’s a tough one to take but we’ll be back.”
Although England fell short in the final, Edwards believes the team has taken an important step forward. The improvement shown throughout the tournament, along with the strong support from the fans, has given England confidence that bigger successes are still to come.
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