ZCZC
BSP-04
CRICKET-WOMEN-WT20-AUS
Champions Australia already eyeing home soil T20 defence
SYDNEY, Nov 26, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Australia’s women cricketers are already
eyeing the defence of their World Twenty20 crown on home soil after cruising
to victory over England, with skipper Meg Lanning saying their focus must now
be on consistency.
Their eight-wicket win in Antigua on Saturday was Australia’s fourth world
title in the short-format and they are desperate to make it five when the
tournament is next played in early 2020 at home.
“The T20 World Cup is in Australia in 2020, which is going to be massive
and I think we’ve shown that we can be the world’s best team,” Lanning said
Sunday.
“We want to be a very consistent cricket team and I think we have done that
over the last few years without the success at world tournaments. So
hopefully this win is sort of the start of something.
“We’ve really put together an amazing squad and support staff to be able to
move the game forward and be part of the women’s game, which is going to grow
so much over the next couple of years,” she added.
The popularity of women’s cricket in Australia has soared in recent years
and organisers of the next T20 World Cup are confident more than 90,000 fans
will watch the final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Eight cities across Australia will host games.
All-rounder Ashleigh Gardner starred with bat and ball in Antigua with the
English restricted to 105 all out off 19.4 overs. In reply, Australia reached
the target with the loss of just two wickets in the 16th over.
Lanning said the win was particularly sweet after defeat in the 2016 T20
final in Kolkata and last year’s 50-over World Cup semi-final exit.
“The last couple of World Cup exits for us hurt our team a lot. And we
spoke about that as a group and not hiding away from that fact,” she said.
“But I think that the biggest thing has been that we’ve been able to learn
and really grow as a group.
“Our culture is fantastic and we’re just really enjoying what we do, and I
think we showed that out there (in Antigua).”
BSS/AFP/MSY/0851 hrs