Australia Women vs West Indies Women – Mooney and Gardner power Australia into another World Cup final

 


Australia Women continued their march towards a seventh Women's T20 World Cup title with a commanding eight-wicket victory over West Indies Women in the first semi-final at The Oval, London. After winning the toss, Australian captain Sophie Molineux chose to field, and her bowlers responded with a disciplined performance that restricted the Caribbean side to a below-par total. 


West Indies made a positive start through captain Hayley Matthews and Qiana Joseph, who added 47 runs for the opening wicket. Matthews looked in fine touch, striking 30 from 28 balls, but her dismissal triggered a dramatic collapse. Australia seized control through their spinners, with Ashleigh Gardner removing Matthews and later claiming another key wicket. Georgia Wareham also struck twice as West Indies slipped from a promising position to 83/6. 

With the innings in danger of falling apart, Deandra Dottin produced a fighting late cameo. Having earlier suffered a pre-match medical scare, Dottin showed tremendous determination to return and score an unbeaten 26 from 16 balls, while Jannillea Glasgow provided useful support in the closing overs. Their efforts helped West Indies recover somewhat to post 125/7 in 20 overs, though the total always appeared insufficient against Australia's formidable batting line-up. 


Australia's bowlers shared the honours. Ashleigh Gardner delivered a superb spell of 2/13 from four overs, earning Player of the Match honours, while Georgia Wareham returned 2/17. Captain Sophie Molineux also picked up 2/30, ensuring West Indies never gained sustained momentum. 


Chasing 126, Australia lost Georgia Voll early, and when Phoebe Litchfield also departed inside the powerplay, West Indies briefly sensed an opportunity. However, Beth Mooney quickly extinguished those hopes with a masterclass in chasing. The left-hander dominated the attack, piercing gaps at will and racing to a magnificent unbeaten 61 from just 36 balls, including eight fours. 


Australia suffered a minor scare when Ellyse Perry retired hurt with a quad problem, but the interruption made little difference. Gardner joined Mooney and launched a decisive counterattack, smashing an unbeaten 35 from 20 deliveries with four boundaries and a six. The pair added an unbroken partnership of 63 runs and guided Australia comfortably to 127/2 in just 13 overs, completing the chase with 42 balls to spare. 


The emphatic win sent Australia into their eighth Women's T20 World Cup final, underlining their dominance in global women's cricket. For West Indies, the defeat ended an encouraging campaign, though the performances of Hayley Matthews and Deandra Dottin throughout the tournament once again highlighted the immense talent within the Caribbean side. 



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