A week in the world of women's sport: Beth England stars as Chelsea claim League Cup trophy
A week in the world of women's sport
In our weekly feature on the ins and outs in women's sport, Beth England leads Chelsea to their first-ever League Cup while Australia sneak into the T20 World Cup semi-finals.
Cricket
The four semi-finalists for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2020 have been decided with Australia claiming the final spot after edging local rivals New Zealand by four runs in their final group match.
In the winner-takes-all clash, Australia posted 155 for five on the back of a 50-ball 60 from Beth Mooney.
The Kiwis made a good fist of it as Katey Martin (37 not out) and Sophie Devine (31) kept them in the game despite the loss of regular wickets.
However, they came up short as Georgia Wareham tied them down with three for 17, handing Australia a place in the last four.
India, England and South Africa are the other three semi-finalists, but the fixtures will be completed once South Africa play their final group game against the West Indies.
England, meanwhile, secured their place in the knockout stage with an excellent 47-run victory over the Windies with Natalie Sciver's 57 and Sophie Ecclestone's three for seven powering them to victory.
It was also revealed this week that The Hundred will feature equal prize money for both the men's and women's winning teams, making history with a total prize budget of £600,000. Split 50/50 between the competitions, it's a step towards the ECB's long-term commitment to making cricket a gender-balanced sport.
England Women's Cricket Captain, Heather Knight comments: "The women's game is progressing year on year and decisions like this one are really helping to accelerate growth. The Hundred is exciting because it's embracing change and this will hopefully help to attract more women to cricket."
Golf
Julia Engström joined the Ladies European Tour's trophy winners’ circle this weekend as she secured her maiden LET title after winning the Women’s New South Wales Open at Dubbo Golf Club.
The 18-year-old carded a final round four-under-par 68 to finish on 14 under for the tournament, two strokes ahead of overnight leader Manon De Roey from Belgium.
"It’s been a great week and I’m just thrilled," the Swede, who was crowned LET Rookie of the Year in 2017, said.
"I bogeyed 18 in all three previous rounds and I decided that this time, I was not going to bogey it and I hit a great shot and I didn’t realise how close it was until I heard the reaction from the crowd. It was amazing and a great finish to a great week."
The LPGA Tour remains on an enforced break after three tournaments were postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak. The next event is the Volvik Founders Cup in Arizona, starting on March 19.
Football
Chelsea added the Women's Continental League Cup to their trophy cabinet for the first time this weekend and they did it in dramatic fashion as they claimed a last-gasp win over Arsenal.
Beth England proved to be the match winner at The City Ground as the Chelsea striker initially gave the Blues the lead early in the first half only for Leah Williamson to draw the Gunners level.
However, England had the final say as she scored an injury-time winner to hand Chelsea the League Cup for the first time in their history.
Chelsea boss Emma Hayes admitted afterwards that her team were outplayed by Arsenal on the day.
"The better team did not win, the most resilient team won," she said. "I value defending and resilience and it isn't always about being the best team, it isn't always about possessing the ball the most.
"We won't be talking in three years' time about that dominant Arsenal performance, they will say 'Chelsea won'.
"To win the game knowing that they dominated, they out-possessed us and they out-footballed us, for me, shows what a great team we really are."
Domestic football now takes a break as England head over to Orlando, Florida, for the SheBelieves Cup, which also features the United States, Spain and Japan.
England, though, will be without star defender Lucy Bronze after the right-back was forced to withdraw due to a calf injury.
England's first match will be against the United States on Friday March 6.
Netball
Defending Superleague champions Manchester Thunder made it two wins from two matches in 2020 as they secured a solid 65-56 win away against Severn Stars in Worcester.
Team Bath also secured their second victory of the season as they won 71-53 on the road against Celtic Dragons in Cardiff while Loughborough Lightning got their first win as they beat Strathclyde Sirens 59-53.
The final two games of Round 2 will take place on Monday evening when Wasps Netball host Saracens Mavericks and Surrey Storm take on London Pulse.
By the way, tickets for the Grand Final on July 4 at Copperbox Arena are already on sale and you better pick yours up soon as 60% has already been sold.
Tennis
What a week it was for Aryna Sabalenka and Heather Watson as the duo won the two WTA Tour trophies on offer.
World No 13 Sabalenka won her sixth title as she beat Petra Kvitova 6-3, 6-3 to win the Qatar Open trophy in Doha, her fifth WTA singles title.
"It was a long journey here and I put everything on tennis," Sabalenka said. "I was actually only playing tennis and focusing on tennis and nothing else. And I think I gave everything for tennis.
"I just lost my dad in the pre-season and he was my biggest motivation, and I'm doing it for him."
Over in Acapulco, British No 2 Watson won her fourth WTA Tour title, but first since 2016 as she beat Canadian teenager Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 6-7 (8-10), 6-1 in the Mexican Open final.
"I'm so happy to get my fourth title," Watson said. "It’s been a few years, so I’m just really, really happy I came through that match."
She added: "I’ve played Leylah two times before this, and I knew what to expect. She’s a great player, and it would be really tough because the two matches before that had been really tough. The thing I notice about her the most is the head on her shoulders. She’s very, very mature for her age."
By Shahida Jacobs, editor of Tennis365.com