Australia win historic cricket gold at Commonwealth Games as athletics wraps up

BIRMINGHAM: Australia won the first women’s cricket gold medal in Commonwealth Games history on Sunday as Scotland’s Laura Muir captured the 1500m title on the final night of athletics.

On the penultimate day of competition in Birmingham, England’s women won hockey gold and Australia beat Jamaica in the netball final.

With just a few events to go on Monday, Australia lead the way with 66 golds, 11 ahead of hosts England.

Hot favorites Australia held their nerve to beat India by nine runs in a Twenty20 thriller in front of a big Edgbaston crowd.

Opener Beth Mooney top-scored with 61 as Australia made 161-8 in their 20 overs in the warm sunshine.

India appeared to be on course for a shock win when they were cruising at 118-2.

But the dismissals of Jemimah Rodrigues (33) and captain Harmanpreet Kaur (65) sapped their momentum and they fell frustratingly short.

Australia partied on the pitch as the lights went out around the stadium.

“It’s absolutely huge,” said left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen.

“We are blessed enough to be part of some winning World Cup teams but to win the first gold medal for women’s cricket in the Commonwealth Games, you’re only ever going to do that once.”

Victory underlines the dominance of Australia’s women, who are also world champions in the 20-over and 50-over formats.

In the bronze medal match earlier on Sunday, New Zealand coasted to an eight-wicket win over England.

Muir ended her Commonwealth Games campaign with a flourish by winning gold in the 1500m at the Alexander Stadium.

The 29-year-old’s team-mate, 10,000m champion Eilish McColgan, just failed in her bid for memorable double, finishing second behind Kenya’s impressive world silver medallist Beatrice Chebet in the women’s