England women’s cricket team faced Australia in the final of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 on Sunday (July 5) at Lord’s but suffered a defeat by seven wickets. They rode on captain Nat Sciver-Brunt’s unbeaten half-century (58 runs from 53 balls) to post a total of 150/4 in 20 overs but failed to defend the target of 151 runs. Australian wicketkeeper-batter Beth Mooney scored 64 runs from 49 balls and added 100 runs for the second wicket with No. 3 batter Phoebe Litchfield (48 runs from 35 balls) to seal the deal.
The defeat against Australia on Sunday was a bitter pill to swallow for the English team as they had won all of their previous six matches in the tournament. The defeat in front of the home fans also ended England’s perfect Women’s
World Cup record at home.
Prior to losing Sunday’s final at Lord’s, England had never lost a Women’s World Cup (ODI and T20I combined) at home.
In the last 53 years, England hosted three Women’s ODI World Cups and one Women’s T20 World Cup and ended up winning all four of them.
They lifted the Women’s ODI World Cup trophy in 1973, 1993, and 2017, and the Women’s T20 World Cup title in 2009.
England women’s cricket team in World Cups at home
| EDITION | FORMAT | WINNERS | LOSING FINALISTS | WIN MARGIN IN FINAL |
| 1973 | ODI | England | Australia | Won on points (no final) |
| 1993 | ODI | England | New Zealand | 67 runs |
| 2009 | T20I | England | New Zealand | 6 wickets |
| 2017 | ODI | England | India | 9 runs |
| 2026 | T20I | Australia | England | 7 wickets |
England, who won the inaugural edition of the Women’s T20 World Cup in 2009, are still waiting to win their second title.
They had a chance to end the 17-year-long wait on Sunday but failed to capitalise on their chances.
In the summit clash against the Southern Stars at the Home of Cricket, England had high hopes from their opening batter Danni Wyatt-Hodge, but the right-handed batter, who is the first and only player to score more than 300 runs in one edition of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, could only manage to score eight runs from eight balls.
Even though captain Nat Sciver-Brunt scored a half-century in the final, she faced 53 balls to score those 58 runs. Then, in the bowling, Lauren Bell helped England remove Australian opener Georgia Voll in the second over itself, but the other bowlers failed to stop the flow of runs or take wickets, which allowed Mooney and Litchfield to build a big partnership and knock England out of the contest.
