2018 ICC Women's World Twenty20
The 2018 ICC Women's World Twenty20 was the sixth edition of the ICC Women's World Twenty20, hosted in the West Indies from 9 to 24 November 2018. It the second World Twenty20 hosted by the West Indies (after the 2010 edition), and the West Indies were the defending champions.
| Dates | 9 – 24 November 2018 |
|---|---|
| Administrator(s) | International Cricket Council |
| Cricket format | Women's Twenty20 International |
| Tournament format(s) | Group stage and knockout |
| Host(s) | West Indies |
| Champions | Australia (4th title) |
| Runners-up | England |
| Participants | 10 |
| Matches | 23 |
| Player of the series | Alyssa Healy |
| Most runs | Alyssa Healy (225) |
| Most wickets | Deandra Dottin Ashleigh Gardner Megan Schutt (10) |
| Official website | iccworldtwenty20.com |
The tournament was awarded to the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) at the 2013 annual conference of the International Cricket Council (ICC). The tournament's dates were confirmed at an ICC board meeting in January 2015. In February 2017, the ICC confirmed that this would be the first T20 tournament that uses the Decision Review System, with one review per side.
The qualifier tournament for the competition was held in July 2018 in the Netherlands. Both Bangladesh and Ireland won their respective semi-final matches in the qualifier, to advance to the Women's World Twenty20 tournament.
The first match scheduled to be played in Saint Lucia, between England and Sri Lanka, was abandoned due to rain. With further rain forecast in Saint Lucia, the ICC looked at a contingency plan of moving other group games to Antigua. The following day, the ICC confirmed that the Group A matches would remain in Saint Lucia. The ICC cited logistical issues and cost as the main factors for not moving the fixtures.
Australia in Group B qualified for the semi-finals, with their win against New Zealand, to give them three wins from three matches. India, also in Group B, qualified for the semi-finals, after they beat Ireland by 52 runs, with three wins from three matches. In Group A, tournament hosts the West Indies, along with England, progressed to the semi-finals, after wins in their penultimate group-stage fixtures. In the first semi-final, the West Indies faced Australia, with England and India playing each other in the second semi-final. Australia beat the West Indies by 71 runs and England beat India by 8 wickets to progress to the final.
Australia won their fourth title after beating England in the final by 8 wickets. Meg Lanning, captain of the Australian team said that the victory was "the most satisfying win I've been involved in" adding that "there will be some big celebrations". England's captain, Heather Knight, said that the team did not post a competitive total, but was "proud of the girls for reaching another world final". Australia's Alyssa Healy was named the player of the tournament.