Australia beat India by nine runs to claim the Commonwealth Games women’s Twenty20 cricket gold medal on Sunday, but the real winner was the sport, which delivered compelling competition and boosted its case to be included in the Olympics.
Part of the Commonwealth Games program for the first time, women’s cricket was one of the most sought after tickets in Birmingham, particularly for Sunday’s absorbing final between top ranked Australia and cricket-mad India.
“You just have to look how many people came out and watched every single game even when England wasn’t playing,” Australia’s Ashleigh Gardner said. “It was amazing to see people just supporting women’s cricket.