Losing wickets early cost Australia World T20 title: Clarke

Barbados, May 18 (ANI): Skipper Michael Clarke has said that had Australia not lost early wickets, it would not have crashed to a seven-wicket defeat against England in the World Twenty20 final in Barbados on Sunday.

"Losing those three wickets early certainly didn't help us and put a lot of pressure on our middle order," Clarke said.

"But we did well to scrape to 140-odd. In the end we were probably 30 runs short. But in saying that, the way England came out and batted we were probably 50 runs short. That's the way it goes. We got beaten by a better team today," he added.

Clarke further said: "But we did well to scrape to 140-odd. In the end we were probably 30 runs short. But in saying that, the way England came out and batted, we were probably 50 runs short. That's the way it goes. We got beaten by a better team."

David Hussey played a determined innings of 59 to lead Australia to a total of 6-147, but England achieved the target with a score of 3-151 in 17 overs.

England was taken to the victory podium by South African-born duo Kevin Pietersen (47) and Craig Kieswetter (63), who added 117 for England's second wicket in a match-winning partnership. (ANI)