Nat Sciver-Brunt sets T20 World Cup record as England reach final vs Australia

ENGLAND captain Nat Sciver-Brunt hoped Sunday’s World Cup final defeat to Australia at Lord’s will not mark her final appearance at a World Cup, even as she reflected on an emotional end to England’s campaign. Australia claimed their seventh Women’s T20 World Cup title, outclassing an England side that had shown significant improvement under Sciver-Brunt […]

England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt has set a new T20 World Cup record with her ninth 50-plus score in the final against Australia. Her unbeaten 58 anchored England's innings, guiding them to 150/4 after a shaky start. Despite a disciplined Australian bowling attack, Sciver-Brunt's resilience, supported by Freya Kemp's quickfire 44, ensured a competitive total for the hosts at Lord's.

England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt leads from the front as she finishes unbeaten on 58 to help her side post 150 in the Women's T20 World Cup final against Australia at Lord's.

Captain Nat Sciver-Brunt's awe-inspiring knock of 75 after an injury led England past South Africa and into the final of the Women's Twenty20 World Cup on Thursday. Sciver-Brunt and former skipper Heather Knight rescued England from 23-3 with a 133-run partnership - the highest ever in a World Cup knockout match - to set South Africa a forbidding 170 target in The Oval semifinal. South Africa, which chose to chase, had the life squeezed out of it and saw the writing on the wall as early as the 11th over after the great Marizanne Kapp was just the third out. By then the run rate required was already at 11 per over for the finalist in the previous two T20 World Cups. No. 2-ranked England won by 40 runs and will face No. 1 Australia in the final at sold-out Lord's on Sunday. It's the first time since 2010 that both teams in the final are unbeaten. England put up 169-5 and South Africa was shrunk to 129-8 in front of a women's T20 semifinal record attendance of 21,128. Sciver-Brunt ..

London: Nat Sciver-Brunt proved pivotal as all-round England eased South Africa by 40 runs in the semifinal here at The Oval to set up a date with Australia in the Women's T20 World Cup final.Sciver-Brunt helped England rally from a shaky start and post 169/5. Despite a defiant fifty by Tazmin Brits, South Africa crumbled to 129/8 in their 20 overs.Leading from the front! Nat Sciver-Brunt equals the record for the most 50+ scores in ICC Women's T20 World Cup history! (8) ICC Women's #T20WorldCup 2026 | Semi-final 2 | #ENGvSA | LIVE NOW! pic.twitter.com/f7Dkz8KxYo— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 2, 2026 An inspiring batting performance under pressure from Nat Sciver-Brunt powered England into the #T20WorldCup Final She wins the @aramco POTM pic.twitter.com/thyxi8QIkT— ICC (@ICC) July 2, 2026 Sunday's final at the Lord's Cricket Ground pits the two unbeaten teams of the tournament, England and Australia. England will also be looking to maintain their perfect record at home -- they have never lost a women's World Cup, T20 or ODI, as hosts.After electing to field first, Marizanne Kapp and Shabnim Ismail gave South Africa a fiery start as the latter was the first to have delivered the first blow, claiming the wicket of Amy Jones while Kapp castled Danni Wyatt-Hodge.Ismail returned to attack and trapped Alice Capsey leg before the wicket to reduce England to 23/3 in 3.2 overs. In the process, Ismail also became the first bowler to cross the milestone of 50 wickets at the tournament, ICC reports.Our highest fourth wicket partnerships in IT20s all have one common denominator Knight & Wyatt-Hodge, 139 v Australia, 2017Knight & Capsey 137 v India, 2026Knight & Wilson 115 v Australia, 2020Knight & N. Sciver-Brunt 110* v South Africa, 2026Heather Knight, what a… pic.twitter.com/GUAg2ozjDs— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 3, 2026 In the hunt for another key wicket, South Africa bowled out Kapp early, and the pacer finished with outstanding figures of 1/16 in four overs.After early blows, Sciver-Brunt and Heather Knight led the England fightback with a 133-run stand for the third wicket, which is the highest partnership in knockouts in the tournament.Sciver-Brunt dazzled with her footwork and ran hard between the wickets, hitting 11 fours and a six en route to her eighth half-century in Women's T20 World Cup. It drew her level with the game's greats Suzie Bates (New Zealand) and Beth Mooney (Australia).COME ON!!! South Africa 5 down!!! pic.twitter.com/L2FVozpi2W— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 2, 2026 At the other end, Knight also kept the runs ticking. She brought up her fifty with a heave over deep mid-wicket for six. When it looked like England were about to switch gears, Nonkululeko Mlaba landed decisive blows in the 19th over. She had the England captain caught in the deep while trying to sweep, bringing an end to the partnership. Two balls later, Knight lofted the ball straight to Laura Wolvaardt at extra-cover. Though England didn't quite get the acceleration at the death, they finished at a challenging 169/5.Emotions everywhere! ❤️Hosts England edge past South Africa to book their place in a 5th ICC Women's #T20WorldCup Final, unbeaten! ICC Women's #T20WorldCup 2026 | Semi-final 2 | #ENGvSA | LIVE NOW! pic.twitter.com/1I8cTRK5oi— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 2, 2026 In response, South Africa made a steady start as Wolvaardt and Brits put on an opening partnership of 43 runs. Wolvaardt stay at the wicket was cut short as Sophie Ecclestone grabbed a leaping catch near mid-on off Linsey Smith. Freya Kemp then removed Annerie Dercksen cheaply for 3. The hammer blow was the loss of Kapp, who, having added just five, tried to flick the ball into the leg side but got a leading edge, leaving Sciver-Brunt with the simplest of catches. That left the South Africans on 68-3 in 10.4 overs.Even as South Africa kept losing wickets at regular intervals, Brits waged a lone battle, getting to 50. However, she was dismissed on the very next ball, as she got a leading edge off Charlie Dean that flew to Sciver-Brunt. Once Brits departed, the South African challenge fell apart and England walked away with the win.Captain Laura Wolvaardt reacts after the loss against England in Semi-final #LauraWolvaardt #T20WorldCup #ENGvSA pic.twitter.com/lnPVtLW1cC— WomenCricket.com (@WomenCricketHQ) July 3, 2026 Lauren Bell and Dean were the most effective bowlers on the day and claimed two wickets each. Smith, Freya Kemp and Eccelestone also chipped in with a wicket each.The result also helped England avenge two straight semi-final defeats to South Africa at the 2025 ODI World Cup and the 2023 T20 World Cup.Brief scores: England Women 169/5 in 20 overs (Nat Sciver-Brunt 75, Heather Knight 58; Nonkululeko Mlaba 2-25, Shabnim Ismail 2-31) beat South Africa Women 129/8 in 20 overs (Tazmin Brits 51, Laura Wolvaardt 17; Lauren Bell 2-28, Charlie Dean 2-32) by 40 runs(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt led from the front on her return from injury with a superb 75 in a 40-run Women's T20 World Cup semi-final thrashing of South Africa at the Oval on Thursday.