The China Mail - Mooney stars as Australia hammer England in women's World Cup final

Beth Mooney (64) and Phoebe Litchfield (48) did the damage in a second-wicket partnership of exactly 100 runs as Australia reached a modest target of 151 with 17 balls to spare.

Victory meant Australia had now won all seven of their world finals, across both one-day international and T20 cricket, against arch-rivals England.

"Mooney made it look easy out there, took the pressure off me, and we had an awesome partnership," Litchfield told Sky Sports.

Tight Australia bowling backed up by typically impressive fielding restricted England to a below par 150-4.

England were indebted to captain Nat-Sciver Brunt (58 not out) and Freya Kemp (44 not out) for an unbroken stand of 80 that revived the innings from 70-4 on a sluggish pitch.

The new-ball duo of Kim Garth (1-20 in four overs) and Lucy Hamilton (1-19 in three) were the pick of the attack in Australia's first global final at Lord's.

"I thought the bowlers did an exceptional job to hold them (England) to that total and then we just played with absolute freedom with the bat," said Australia's Annabel Sutherland.

England, bidding for a first major title since winning the 2017 50-over World Cup final at Lord's and with the memory of a 16-0 rout by Australia in the last multi-format Ashes still fresh in the memory, rarely looked in with a chance.

- 'Completely outplayed' -

England coach Charlotte Edwards, brought in after the Ashes debacle after enjoying several triumphs against Australia during her celebrated playing career, made no attempt to hide her feelings.

"Gutted, really," Edwards told the BBC. "We came here with so much belief and confidence to pull off something really special and I think we gave ourselves a really good shout, it didn't look easy to bat on.

"But they (Australia) are a very, very good team and we were completely outplayed there in the end."

Australia were 17-1 when Georgia Voll, who had loft the first ball of the chase for four, was bowled by Lauren Bell .

But the runs kept coming, with Mooney - who had already had a fine game behind the stumps -- steering Bell through backward point for one of seven fours in her 38-ball fifty.

Litchfield swept Charlie Dean for four and lofted the off-spinner for six over extra-cover.

Sciver-Brunt had promised her side would go "toe-to-toe" against Australia, with both sides unbeaten at the tournament before the final.

But come the end of the six-over powerplay, Australia had one hand on the trophy at 68-1.

Dean bowled Litchfield, to end a stand of 100 in 67 balls and Mooney was eventually lbw on review to left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone.

But Australia were now in sight of victory at 140-3.

England's day was summed up when Australia's winning runs came courtesy of five wides from Ecclestone, whose legside delivery sped to the boundary.

Earlier, Australia struck soon after captain Sophie Molineux won the toss, Amy Jones edging Hamilton to gully for her fifth single-figure score in six innings.

New batter Sciver-Brunt, who had taken son Theo onto the outfield with her for the pre-match anthems, stylishly cover-drove Hamilton for a first-ball four.

But at the other end, veteran opener Danni Wyatt-Hodge became the first batter to score 300 runs at a women's T20 World Cup but fell for eight when she gloved Sutherland down the legside and was well caught at the second attempt by a diving Mooney.

Alice Capsey briefly turned the tide with 23 before she was bowled by Molineux.

And when 2017 World Cup-winning captain Heather Knight, who made 58 and shared a partnership of 133 with Sciver-Brunt in a 40-run semi-final thrashing of South Africa, was plumb lbw for just two to Garth's leg-cutter, England were 70-4.

They avoided further collapse but England's total was soon made to look inadequate as they surrendered their record of having won every major global tournament they had hosted -- a run dating back to the inaugural 1973 women's ODI World Cup.

W.Cheng--ThChM