Stars’ golden times

Our greatest generation

AUSTRALIA’S golden generation of cricketers have added more silverware to their already heaving trophy cabinet after they knocked off tournament hosts South Africa by 19 runs to win the Women’s T20 World Cup final.

There have been some dominant teams in Australia over the decades, but this current crop of stars might just be the best, with Monday morning’s triumph adding to last year’s Commonwealth Games gold, Ashes win and 50-over World Cup.

It was also their third straight T20 World Cup triumph and the sixth time they have won it out of the eight times it has been held.

“It’s very special,” player of the match Beth Mooney said.

Australia’s 6/156 looked slightly short at the innings break, but some tight bowling had the hosts on the back foot from the outset and they never recovered.

“We’ve been longing for this moment since the last World Cup,” player of the tournament Ashleigh Gardner said. “I don’t think words can describe how proud I am.”

Simply the Beth

The rankings say she’s second, but Beth Mooney proved yet again that she’s the best batter in world cricket with her unbeaten 74 off 53 balls proving the difference.

Three years after she struck 78 not out in the final against India, Mooney became the first woman to hit two halfcenturies in women’s T20 World Cup finals.

The leading run-scorer in WBBL history has a knack of delivering on the biggest stage and, while some of her teammates made starts, she made sure she finished the job after also playing a key role with 54 in the semi-final.

South Africa on the up

They controversially axed one of their greatest players before the World Cup started, were stunned by Sri Lanka in the tournament opener and had to claw their way into the finals.

So you can understand why veteran Marizanne Kapp’s emotions got the better of her as she burst into tears during the South African anthem before play.

This is a country that has notoriously faltered in semifinals in both men’s and women’s World Cup, but the future looks bright for the Proteas after they reached the decider on home soil.

It was fitting that Kapp (2/35) got the first breakthrough when she removed Alyssa Healy to have the crowd on its feet, but the bowlers didn’t have much joy until Shabnim Ismail found herself on a hat-trick in the final over.

“It’s been such an incredible tournament to be a part of,” Laura Wolvaardt said.

“To experience this has been once in a lifetime.”