Clinical Australia enter T20 World Cup final for eighth time

Six-time champions Australia booked their place in the Women's T20 World Cup 2026 final with a clinical take down of West Indies in the first semifinal at The Oval on Tuesday (June 30). Opting to bowl, Australian spinners kept West Indies to 125 and chased down the modest target in 13 overs. A devastating 12 for 4 collapse in the middle-overs proved costly for West Indies, completely turning the game in Australia's favour and leaving them with too little to defend.

It was a sedate powerplay for West Indies with Hayley Matthews trying her best to break free but unable to. Consequently, West Indies were kept to a modest 35/0 from the first six overs. The West Indies captain was eventually bowled around her legs by Georgia Wareham for a 28-ball 30 at the start of the ninth over, at a time when Qiana Joseph was already struggling for rhythm and timing at the other end.

Wareham may have brought the breakthrough off her very first ball in the game, but Shemaine Campbelle arrived with intent and dispatched a couple of deliveries to the fence to get going. However, while Campbelle held one end, wickets fell in a heap at the other. West Indies slipped catastrophically from 47/0 to 59/4, with Ashleigh Gardner striking twice in a single over to get rid of Stafanie Taylor and Jahzara Claxton for ducks.

That soon became 73/5 and 83/6 when the set Campbelle was dismissed for 22. A lower-order counterattack provided an unbroken 42-partnership in 27 balls, coming courtesy of Deandra Dottin. Having fainted earlier just after the national anthems, the veteran walked out to bat at number eight and hit four boundaries in a 16-ball cameo of 26. Her efforts took West Indies to a respectable 125, but that total was never going to be enough to contain Australia.

Georgia Voll got the chase underway in style with a first-over six off Chinelle Henry. The bowler copped more damage in the form of twin boundaries in her second over before she had the last laugh. Henry nailed a brilliant yorker that snuck through and struck Voll's off-stump to send her packing for 16.

Beth Mooney counterattacked by taking on off-spinner Karishma Ramharack, but Matthews returned with a change of ends to trap Phoebe Litchfield lbw, reducing Australia to 43/2. Nonetheless, Australia remained well ahead of the asking rate with Mooney smashing four boundaries off Claxton to end the powerplay at a commanding 63/2.

Ellyse Perry retired hurt soon after with an undisclosed niggle. Gardner, who replaced Perry in the middle, quickly took on leg-spinner Afy Fletcher to keep the momentum going. Mooney, meanwhile, quickly raced to a 28-ball half-century before raising the 100 for Australia in the 11th over. Gardner wrapped up the formalities in the 13th over with a couple of boundaries, sending West Indies home and ensuring Australia reached their eighth final in ten editions.

Brief scores: West Indies 125/7 in 20 overs (Hayley Matthews 30, Deandra Dottin 26*; Ash Gardner 2-13, Sophie Molineux 2-30, Georgia Wareham 2-17) lost to Australia 127/2 in 13 overs (Beth Mooney 61*, Ash Gardner 35*) by 8 wickets.