Australia cruised into the T20 World Cup final with an emphatic eight-wicket victory over West Indies, chasing down 126 with seven overs to spare at the Oval. The six-time champions will face the winner of Thursday's semi-final between England and South Africa in Sunday's final.
Mooney and Gardner lead dominant chase
Beth Mooney struck her second half-century of the tournament, scoring 51 not out, while Ash Gardner contributed an aggressive 35 from 20 balls. The pair shared a 63-run partnership off 37 deliveries that effectively sealed the match. Despite a 2.30pm start on a Tuesday in London, more than 10,000 spectators attended.
The only concern for Australia is Ellyse Perry, who retired hurt in the seventh over of the chase with a quad injury. However, she walked off unaided, and Cricket Australia indicated she would have returned to bat if needed, suggesting the injury is not serious.
West Indies collapse after promising start
West Indies' innings was bookended by two useful partnerships: a 47-run opening stand between Hayley Matthews and Qiana Joseph, and a late 42-run partnership off 27 balls between Deandra Dottin and Jannillea Glasgow. However, a collapse of four wickets for 12 runs in 17 balls derailed their momentum.
Dottin's participation was in doubt after she collapsed during the Australian national anthem due to an unknown illness and had to be carried off the pitch by teammates. She was listed at No. 5 but only emerged from the dressing room midway through the innings, eventually batting at No. 8 in the 16th over. She hit four boundaries, but it was too late to make a significant impact.
Matthews' hopes fall flat
West Indies captain Hayley Matthews had spoken of playing "fearless" cricket before the match, but her side managed only 35 runs in the powerplay and faced 55 dot balls in their innings. Matthews herself played a fine cover drive off the first ball but was bowled by Georgia Wareham in the ninth over after attempting a sweep. Qiana Joseph hit a six over long-on but was caught at deep midwicket off Gardner.
Gardner also dismissed Stafanie Taylor and Jahzara Claxton off leading edges in the 11th over, effectively ending West Indies' hopes. The West Indies camp has been beset by illness since arriving in England, with Taylor missing a group-stage match and Matthews struggling with a persistent cough.
