The final of the Women’s T20 World Cup turned into a one-sided affair as Australia clinched their seventh title without breaking a sweat against hosts England at Lord’s on Sunday. With both teams unbeaten throughout the tournament, a close contest had been anticipated in front of a sell out crowd, but England were simply no match for the Australians.

The victory was set up by Australia’s bowlers, who mixed their pace intelligently and maintained superb discipline to restrict England to 150 for four in their 20 overs. Their fielding was equally impressive, backing up the bowlers with sharp catching and athletic work in the ring.

On a two paced surface, some felt England had posted a competitive total. But Beth Mooney, such a classy performer, produced another masterclass to guide Australia to a comprehensive seven wicket victory with 17 balls to spare.

Mooney, Australia’s wicketkeeper and left-handed opener, has the same ability as Adam Gilchrist to punish even good deliveries. Having struck an unbeaten half-century in the semi-final against West Indies at The Oval, she delivered again on the biggest stage.

Her unbeaten 64 came off just 49 balls and included ten boundaries. She shared a 100-run stand off only 67 deliveries with Phoebe Litchfield, laying the perfect platform for the chase.

Litchfield, another elegant left-hander, was outstanding during the Powerplay, taking the attack to England as Australia raced to 62 for one in the first six overs. She narrowly missed out on a half-century, making 48 off 35 balls with six fours and two sixes.

After England’s openers departed cheaply, captain Nat Sciver-Brunt kept the hosts in the contest with a fighting half-century. But her 58 came off 53 deliveries and contained only five boundaries, underlining how effectively Australia squeezed the scoring opportunities.

Left-hander Freya Kemp injected some urgency with a brisk 44 off 28 balls, striking four fours and a six, but her late assault proved too little, too late.

It was a remarkable campaign by Australia, who won all seven matches and were rarely stretched throughout the tournament. Their enviable depth, extending through both the batting and bowling departments, once again proved decisive. Above all, their triumph served as another reminder that sustained success at international level is built on the foundations of a strong domestic structure.

Rex Clementine at Lord’s

Six-time champions Sri Lanka are leaving no stone unturned in their bid to regain the Asian Netball Championship title when they travel to Hong Kong next month.

‎Asia’s premier netball tournament will be held from August 7 to 16 at the Kai Tak Sports Park. As part of their preparations, the selected Sri Lankan squad is currently engaged in a four-leg Netball Exposure Series against New Zealand’s Lincoln University team.

‎The visitors won the opening leg in Galle, while Sri Lanka bounced back in Kandy with a thrilling 56-55 victory after edging a closely contested encounter. The remaining matches will be played in Kelaniya and Colombo before the series concludes on July 9.

‎The Netball Federation of Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Sports, the organisers of the Exposure Series, believe the high-intensity matches against strong international opposition will provide valuable preparation ahead of the continental championship.

‎The Asian Championship carries added significance as it also serves as Asia’s qualifying tournament for the 2027 Netball World Cup, with the top two teams securing places at the global showpiece.

Sri Lanka team in action during the series against Lincoln University team in Galle.

Sri Lanka remain the most successful nation in the history of the Asian Netball Championship, having won six titles since the inaugural tournament in 1985. The Lankans have also displayed remarkable consistency, finishing among the top three in every edition of the tournament. Their most recent campaign ended in heartbreak when they lost a thrilling 67-64 final to defending champions Singapore in 2024.

‎The 2026 squad will be led by experienced captain Thisala Algama, with the selectors combining seasoned campaigners and exciting young talent in their quest to reclaim the Asian crown.

‎The squad comprises Thisala Algama (captain), Thilini Wattegedara, Dulangi Wannithilaka, Gayanjali Amaravansa, Rashmi Perera, Gayani Dissanayake, Thumalka Ekanayake, Bashi Udagedara, Malmi Hettiarachchi, Anjalika Thilakaratne, Chalani Neesha and Thimi Wasanthapriya.

‎With several experienced players retained from the 2024 runners-up squad and a number of promising youngsters added to the mix, Sri Lanka will be aiming to mount another strong title challenge. However, they are expected to face stiff competition from defending champions Singapore, Malaysia, hosts Hong Kong and the other leading Asian nations.

‎Backed by a proud tradition and an outstanding record on the continental stage, Sri Lanka will be hoping to capture a record-extending seventh Asian title and reaffirm their status as one of Asia’s netball powerhouses. (RF)‎

Jude Bellingham’s double inflicted a rare defeat on Mexico at their Estadio Azteca as 10-man England won a ne4ve racking World Cup claasic 3-2  to reach the quarterfinals.

Harry Kane also scored from the penalty spot as the Three Lions overcame Jarell Quansah’s red card, high altitude, and a fervent home support on Sunday to keep their quest for a first major tournament win in 60 years alive.

England have relied on Bellingham and Kane throughout the tournament, and the duo has carried them into a last-eight showdown with Erling Haaland’s Norway.

Bellingham struck twice in 98 seconds in the first half to condemn Mexico to just a third defeat in 90 matches at the Azteca.

Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez reduced the Mexican arrears, but they fell short of a place in the quarterfinals.

Victory also helped to erase some of England’s nightmarish memories at the Azteca in the quarterfinals of the 1986 World Cup, when Diego Maradona scored a double for Argentina, including the infamous “Hand of God” goal.

Sunday’s match was delayed by an hour after a thunderstorm and heavy rain lashed the Mexican capital for hours before the planned 6pm (00:00 GMT) kickoff time.

Despite the sodden conditions, more than 80,000 fans crammed into the stadium to create a deafening noise.

England coach Thomas Tuchel was wary of a fast start from Mexico as his side adjusted to the altitude of 2,240 metres (7,350 feet) above sea level.

Mexico had flown out of the traps when they won a World Cup knockout game for the first time in 40 years against Ecuador 2-0 on Tuesday.

This time, England managed to keep Javier Aguirre’s side at bay, but they did need a crucial intervention from Jordan Pickford to deny Jimenez opening the scoring with a diving header that was headed for the bottom corner.

Tuchel made three changes to the side that needed a heroic performance from Kane to prevent an embarrassing early exit to DR Congo.

Quansah was forced to deputise at right-back with Reece James not fit to start for a third consecutive game, opening up Tuchel to criticism over his decision not to select more specialist cover in the position.

Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka also started out wide, and both made telling contributions.

Saka’s cross picked out Bellingham to power in a header for the first goal Mexico conceded in five World Cup games.

The hosts failed to compose themselves, as within two minutes, the Real Madrid midfielder had doubled England’s lead.

Kane’s ball across fell perfectly for Bellingham to power in his fourth goal of the tournament.

Yet what should have been a comfortable lead was nearly wiped out by half-time.

Quinones blasted in his fourth goal of the tournament to spark the Mexico rally after England failed to clear a free kick.

Jimenez drilled wide and saw another header saved by Pickford before Bellingham made a last-ditch intervention to deny Cesar Montes a certain equaliser.

Nico O’Reilly nearly restored England’s two-goal cushion as his deflected shot cannoned off the post.

Quansah was shown a straight red card on 54 minutes after a VAR review for a mistimed lunge on Jesus Gallardo.

But just six minutes later, the 10 men had added to their lead when Gordon was wiped out by Mexico goalkeeper Raul Rangel and Kane emphatically dispatched the penalty.

The England captain’s sixth goal of the tournament puts him just one behind Haaland, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe in the race for the Golden Boot.

The game took another huge momentum swing when, this time, Kane was penalised for a foul inside his own box and Jimenez slotted home the penalty to set up a frantic final 20 minutes.

England, though, stood tall, defending at times frantically to resist the Mexican wave during 11 minutes of additional time, and have reached a third consecutive FIFA World Cup quarterfinal.

(Aljazeera)