Australia booked their place in the final of the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup with a comfortable eight-wicket victory over West Indies in the first semi-final at The Oval. A disciplined bowling performance restricted West Indies to a below-par total before Beth Mooney and Ashleigh Gardner guided Australia home with ease. Australia will now play the winner of the second semi-final between England and South Africa in the title clash.
Australia bowlers keep West Indies in check
West Indies got off to a steady start through captain Hayley Matthews and Qiana Joseph, but Australia tightened the screws after the first breakthrough. The Caribbean side lost wickets at regular intervals and struggled to build partnerships during the middle overs.
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Ashleigh Gardner starred with the ball, picking up two important wickets, while the rest of the Australian attack maintained tight lines to limit the scoring.
A late unbeaten knock from Deandra Dottin helped West Indies reach 125/7 from their 20 overs, but the total never looked enough against Australia’s strong batting line-up.
Mooney, Gardner seal easy win
Australia lost two early wickets during the chase, but Beth Mooney steadied the innings with another calm and unbeaten half-century. The opener rotated the strike well and punished loose deliveries to keep the required run rate under control.
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Ashleigh Gardner provided the finishing touch with an attacking unbeaten 35, adding an unbroken partnership with Mooney that took Australia to the target in 17.4 overs. Mooney finished unbeaten on 61 as Australia completed the chase with 14 balls remaining.
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Gardner was named Player of the Match for her all-round display after making valuable contributions with both bat and ball. The victory sends Australia into another Women’s T20 World Cup final as they move one step closer to winning a record-extending seventh title.
