As it happened - Australia vs South Africa, Women's T20 World Cup, final

Meg Lanning, Australia captain: "It's a pretty special from the group. All teams came hard at us but super proud. We felt like it was a good score but we have to bowl well. It was not as good as the semi-final. We had to put pressure on South Africa. It was about enjoying the process and do what we were doing. It was about keeping things simple when the pressure is on. Thoroughly enjoyed it. We were able to get out and see what this country has to offer. Nice to enjoy the win with this group. It's a special group. Not just the players but the support staff that put in a lot of efforts and allow us to go out and spend freely. Thanks to the families, including my mom and dad who are here."

Sune Luus, South Africa captain: "To play to this crowd with so many people watching and supporting, we never imagined. [On the chase] If you would have told me before the game that Australia would have scored 156, we would have taken it. We lost wickets at crucial times, they bowled well and we are proud of how we did. I don't think it's going backward. Exciting few months in store. They have to start club cricket and more provincial cricket to have a continuous supply of players. [On Australia] You guys are very annoying! But congratulations to Meg and the team. You are setting benchmark for other teams to live up to. [On wish for women's cricket] Just to keep on growing. We have set the platform today and throughout the tournament. We can't go up. We need to keep growing through pipeline and keep challenging Australia."

Let no one influence you into believing this was a choke.

Truth be told, this was a game of high-intensity cricket, fitting of a grand finale. The pressure was immense, and Australia, more skilled and adept at handling big-match temperament - this was their seventh straight final - came up triumphs to clinch their sixth title and their third back-to-back.

If anyone needed more validation that this is the best women’s team on the planet, it couldn’t have been delivered more convincingly. Australia made 156 seem like 180, before their bowlers stood tall on the face of a late assault from Laura Woolvardt that threatened to take the game away.

South Africa needed 59 off 30 at one stage, with Woolvardt pumping a packed Newlands crowd with some of the most aesthetically pleasing shots. Then, much to their agony, she swiped across the line to a full delivery and was trapped lbw. South African hearts sank, a teary Woolvardt trudged off slowly, and boisterous applause gave way to stunned silence.

Australia believed and Australia delivered.

For South Africa, it was a case of being so near, yet so far. However, even in defeat, Sune Luus & co had done what no other South African senior team - men or women - had done: complete in a world final. This was as bittersweet as it could get.

Overs 12-14 have gone for 29. Woolvardt has brought South Africa roaring back. She gets to her half-century with a cover drive, off 43 balls, to bring South Africa into a position from where they can dream. 64 needed off 32. Make no mistake, this isn't over yet.

So what has worked for Woolvardt?

For starters, she hasn't deviated from her set plans. And that is to trust her technique and play authentic shots. You haven't seen her scoop or attempt ramps or reverse sweeps. Yet, she's been able to score freely and bring out the big shots at will. It's also admirable that she hasn't let Luus' run out, where she had a big part to play, chew her up. This has been some effort so far.

Two batters at the same end. In a World Cup knockout. Can only mean one thing.

After a terrible mix-up, Sune Luus and Laura Woolvardt are stranded at the bowler's end. Luus wanted a run after hitting it to mid-off. After responding initially, Woolvardt turned her back on the skipper. That's enough of a window for Australia to smash the door down. 54/3 in the 11th. The target of 157 seems many moons away.

Boundaries have been a rarity in this innings, but the ones from Laura Woolvardt have been, as Ian Bishop says, a “thing of beauty.” Woolvardt is as clean timer of the cricket ball and her two hits for boundaries after the powerplay have shown why. The hit down the ground off Darcie Brown as she erred on the fuller side was an on-drive out of the top drawer. She topped that by skipping down the pitch and moving leg side of the ball to wallop Jess Jonassen inside-out over long-off for six. From 22/1 in six, South Africa have some momentum at 40/1 in eight.

An lbw reprieve, mishits, tight bowling, misfields - the first four overs of South Africa’s chase has seen quite a lot of action. What we haven’t seen so far is as many boundaries - just two. The crowd has been silenced by some superb into-the-pitch bowling by Australia’s pace pack. Asking rate has jumped past nine. The heat is on Tazmin Brits, Laura Woolvardt and the batting order to follow.

Gets tonked for 6 and 4 off her first two deliveries. Then roars back to remove Perry, Wareham off consecutive deliveries to concede just two runs off her next four deliveries as Australia finish with 156 for 6. They would've hoped for 160 or more, but this hasn't been a deck where batters can simply plant their front foot and belt the ball without any inhibitions. There's some grip and slowness off the pitch, and Australia have the attack. That said, South Africa would've taken this at the toss. Game on.

"Back of length deliveries are keeping low, change of pace is key. Anything bowled fuller is easy to hit," says Chloe Tryon.

Grace Harris falls. Meg Lanning cracks her first ball for four.
Meg Lanning falls. Ellyse Perry slaps her first ball for four.
There's no holding back from Australia here. They aren't allowing loss of wickets to come in the way of their momentum. They want to keep playing shots and sustain that attacking tempo that has made them the most-feared women's team. Along the way, Beth Mooney has brought up yet another half-century, her second in a World final, off 44 balls.

Among those in attendance is Desiree Ellis, South Africa's national women's football coach. Banyana Banyana, as the team's referred to, will go to the World Cup in June-July. And they are also the African Confederation champions.

Chloe Tryon makes a mark as soon as she's into the thick of things. She deceives an advancing Gardner in flight and lulls her into the big hit towards the longest boundary at long-off. Sune Luus had her eyes on the ball. Took a step left, moved right and then a couple of steps forward, and then as the ball descended, it curled a littler. Luus had her eyes on the ball right till the end and she got down low to take the catch. Tryon would've beaten anyone in that moment in a 100-metre dash as she sprinted towards her skipper. Australia 83/2 in 12 overs.

"On the Railways Stand are the winners of the girls' Under-19 national championships that ended yesterday. It's essentially a schools' tournament and a part of the legacy of the Under-19 World Cup. And the winners are a school called Jeppe High School for girls. Which is the alma mater of....me!"

Sent in ahead of Meg Lanning, Ash Gardner has offset any little pressure there may have been on Australia with a fierce counter-attack. Two back-to-back fours off Mlaba, where she forced her to alter her lengths, is followed by back-to-back sixes off de Klerk. Both made possible thanks to outstanding footwork and a solid hitting base. As brutal as they come. South Africa are suddenly searching for answers. Australia 73/1 after 10 overs.

An over full of fire and venom. Pressure back on Australia as Shabnim Ismail means business.

After four overs of an arm-wrestle, with neither side catching the game by the scruff of its neck, the fifth has seen some drama. Alyssa Healy opened the over by belting a slower delivery down the ground. Marizanne Kapp ends it by belting out a roar that has Newlands up on its feet. The spongy bounce does Healy in as an attempted cut hits her high on the bat with Nadine de Klerk at cover taking a dolly.

Alyssa Healy opened the 2020 final with a boundary. She opened the scoring here in the 2023 final with a boundary second ball. She made a 39-ball 75 then, and had already hit two boundaries off her first seven balls here. So when Shabnim Ismail struck her pad with a full delivery, all of Newlands went up. Except, this was comfortably missing leg. Once it was given not out on field, it was never likely to be overturned.

Ismail's powerplay economy is a little over four. Mooney has hit two half-centuries.
Ismail loves pace, loves bouncers.
Mooney loves pace on the ball, and has the wood over Ismail.
Here's a chance for Ismail to set the record straight then.

Tazmin Brits. One of the reasons South Africa are in this final. Her incredible assault on England two nights ago set them up for a tall total that they defended. She was a ball of emotion in the aftermath of that heroic performance. It's not hard to understand why.

Eleven years ago, her dreams of winning a medal in Javelin Throw for South Africa at the 2012 London Olympics were crushed when she suffered an accident in the lead-up. A broken pelvis, two weeks in ICU, two months of hospitalisation and a further six agonising months in rehab left her broken She was 19 years old and never made it to the Games. Instead, she took up cricket. And here she is today, with an opportunity to win a World Cup for her country. Isn't this what dreams are made of?