Australia batter Phoebe Litchfield believes the pressure will be on hosts England when the two unbeaten teams meet in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 Final at Lord’s, London, on Sunday, July 5.
Australia and England have both enjoyed excellent tournaments, winning all six of their matches on the way to the final. Australia reached the title clash after beating West Indies by eight wickets in the first semi-final at The Oval. England then secured their place by defeating South Africa by 40 runs in the second semi-final, setting up another exciting final between the two biggest rivals in women’s cricket.
England will have the support of a large home crowd at Lord’s, but Litchfield feels that playing in front of home fans also brings extra pressure. “I think so,” Litchfield said on Friday when asked whether the pressure is all on England.
“It’s weird. Pressure, it’s so fickle, right? It’s all what you feel, but I think as a home side, I don’t know what it feels like, but I think they’re probably just going to relish it. It’s going to be an amazing atmosphere out here.
“And yeah, if I was them, it’s probably just to enjoy it. You know, we’ve both made it to the final, so the best team will win on the day and they’re just lucky that they’ve got a home crowd, I guess.”
England are chasing their second ICC Women’s T20 World Cup title after winning the first edition in 2009, which was also played at Lord’s. Australia, meanwhile, are aiming to win a record-extending seventh Women’s T20 World Cup title after lifting the trophy in 2010, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2020 and 2023.
Australia also have a strong record against England in Women’s T20 World Cup finals. They defeated England in the finals of the 2012, 2014 and 2018 tournaments. The Australians also dominated the Women’s Ashes at home in early 2025, winning the T20I series 3-0 as part of a clean sweep across the multi-format series.
However, Litchfield knows England are a different team now under captain Nat Sciver-Brunt and head coach Charlotte Edwards. England have played confident cricket throughout the tournament and remained unbeaten heading into the final.
“Yeah, (they are) playing some really good cricket,” Litchfield said. “If you look at the both teams have played throughout the tournament, you’d say that these two are the best sides, which is, I guess, really nice that we get to fight each other in the final.
“And I think for the fans that come out, it’s going to be a superb match regardless of the outcome. So I’m pretty excited to be able to play in it, but I’m sure the 30,000 that come along will see a pretty cool performance too.”
Litchfield has also played an important role in Australia’s unbeaten campaign. After returning from injury earlier in the tournament, she has strengthened Australia’s top order alongside Beth Mooney and Georgia Voll, while experienced players like Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner have continued to make important contributions with both bat and ball.
Despite both teams reaching the final without losing a match, Litchfield believes the biggest challenge is still to come because knockout cricket brings a different kind of pressure.
“We’ve both seen a bit of pressure, but I think both teams probably haven’t been tested to the extent of a final,” she added. “The pressure and the high stakes cricket is going to bring out the best of each team and hopefully we see that on Sunday.”
With two unbeaten teams, a packed Lord’s crowd and the Women’s T20 World Cup trophy on the line, Litchfield expects both Australia and England to produce their very best in what promises to be a memorable final.
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