There is no rivalry in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup quite like England vs Australia. Across seven meetings in tournament history, the two heavyweights have repeatedly crossed paths when the stakes have been at their highest.
The July 5 final at Lord’s will be their eighth World Cup meeting overall and their sixth in the knockout stages, with the two sides having already contested three finals and two semi-finals. Australia hold a commanding 4-1 advantage in knockout encounters, but England’s lone victory remains one of the defining moments in Women’s T20 World Cup history.
As they prepare to battle for another global title, here is a look back at every knockout clash between England and Australia at the Women’s T20 World Cup.
England struck the first blow when the teams met in the semi-final of the inaugural tournament in 2009 at The Oval. Australia posted an imposing 163/5 after useful contributions throughout the order, with Shelley Nitschke making 37(25), Karen Rolton scoring 38(32) and Lisa Sthalekar finishing unbeaten on 28. Katherine Sciver-Brunt, Holly Colvin, Nicky Shaw, Jenny Gunn, and Laura Marsh each claimed a wicket each as England kept Australia from pushing beyond 170.
The chase appeared to be slipping away when England lost Sarah Taylor and Charlotte Edwards early to slump to 42/2. What followed remains one of the finest rescue acts in Women’s T20 World Cup history. Claire Taylor produced a magnificent unbeaten 76 from 53 deliveries, while Beth Morgan made unbeaten 46 from 51 balls. Their unbroken 122-run stand for the third wicket guided England to 164/3 with three balls remaining and into the inaugural final, where they would go on to lift the trophy. The partnership still ranks among the highest in Women’s T20 World Cup knockout history.
Three years later, the rivals met again in the 2012 final in Colombo, with Australia gaining revenge in a thrilling contest. Batting first, Australia recovered from early wickets through Jess Duffin’s superb 45(34), while Alyssa Healy made 26 and Alex Blackwell and Lisa Sthalekar added valuable unbeaten runs late to post 142/4. England stayed alive through Charlotte Edwards’ 28 and a late unbeaten 26 from Jenny Gunn, but Lisa Sthalekar dismissed Edwards before Jess Jonassen claimed 3/25 to keep Australia ahead. England closed on 138/9, falling just four runs short as Australia retained the title.
Australia’s dominance continued in the 2014 final in Mirpur. Sent in to bat, England never found momentum and managed only 105/8. Sarah Coyte was outstanding with 3/16, dismissing both Charlotte Edwards and Sarah Taylor, while Ellyse Perry finished with 2/13. Heather Knight top-scored with 29(24), but England’s innings never recovered after regular wickets. Australia made light work of the chase as Meg Lanning struck a fluent 44 from 30 balls before Perry remained unbeaten on 31(32), sealing a six-wicket victory with 29 balls to spare and delivering Australia a third consecutive Women’s T20 World Cup crown.
The 2016 semi-final in Delhi produced perhaps the closest contest between the two sides. Australia were restricted to 132/6, with captain Meg Lanning anchoring the innings through a composed 55(50) after England’s bowlers had slowed the scoring. Nat Sciver-Brunt got 2/22 while Jenny Gunn and Laura Marsh picked a wicket each. England looked favourites when Tammy Beaumont (32) and Charlotte Edwards (31) added 67 for the opening wicket. However, Australia’s fielding changed the game. Lanning produced a stunning catch to dismiss Beaumont before Ellyse Perry trapped Nat Sciver-Brunt. England needed 12 from the final over but Rene Farrell held her nerve as Australia squeezed home by five runs to reach yet another final.
The latest knockout meeting came in the 2018 final in Antigua, where Australia once again proved too strong. England were bowled out for 105 in 19.4 overs after Ashleigh Gardner starred with 3/22 and 19-year-old Georgia Wareham announced herself with figures of 2/11. Heather Knight fought a lone battle with 25(28), but no other batter could build a substantial innings. Australia barely broke stride in reply. Gardner followed up with 33*(26), while Meg Lanning remained unbeaten on 28(30) as Australia reached 106/2 in just 15.1 overs to lift their fourth Women’s T20 World Cup title.
Seventeen years after their first World Cup knockout meeting, England and Australia will once again battle for cricket’s biggest prize at Lord’s. England will be chasing their second Women’s T20 World Cup title and their first against Australia since that unforgettable semi-final in 2009. Meanwhile, Australia are aiming for a seventh Women’s T20 World Cup crown.
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