Colombo, October 7: Australia lifted the Women's World T20 trophy for the second consecutive time after beating England in a thriller by 4 runs in the final in Colombo on Sunday.
Put into bat first, openers Meg Lanning (25) and Alyssa Healy (26) gave Australia a great start with a 51 run-opening stand in six overs.
England pulled back the strings with two quick wickets, but Jess Cameron and Lisa Sthalekar (23) ensured that Aussies continued scoring briskly. Cameron was particularly punishing in her 34-ball 45 runs innings that contained five boundaries and one six.
Left-arm spinner Holly Colvin picked up 2 for 26, but that couldn't stop Australia from posting a very competitive total of 142/4.
In reply, England to fire upfront if they were to make a match of it. Skipper Charlotte Edwards (28 in 23 balls) got on with the job as she hit four boundaries and a six. But she soon ran out of partners at the other end as the Aussie bowlers struck regularly.
With the ever-climbing asking rate, the batters always needed to go for big strokes and that spelled the doom too. Some inspiring fielding by the Aussie girls only made it difficult.
After her good knock with the bat, Sthalekar came back to pick up 2 wickets for just 16 runs in four overs. Jess Jonassen picked up 3 for 25.
Jenny Gunn tried to propel things for England with 14-ball 19 runs stint, but 35 runs in last three overs was always going to be too much.
England still took things to the wire with 15 needed from the final over. Seven was required off the last two balls, but a run out brought an end to an exciting encounter as England finished at 138/9.
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