Ben Findon
Updated ,first published
Australia have reached the women’s T20 World Cup final after an irresistible display swept away West Indies in a brutally one-sided affair at the Oval.
Beth Mooney hit an unbeaten 61 and Ash Gardner made an unbeaten 35 in Tuesday’s (Wednesday AEST) last-four clash, having earlier helped dismantle the West Indies with two wickets in an over.
It all paved the way for a commanding eight-wicket victory and a place in Sunday’s (Monday AEST) final at Lord’s, where they will start as firm favourites against England or South Africa, who meet at the Oval on Thursday.
Australia have won six of the nine stagings and are aiming to regain the trophy after New Zealand prevented a fourth-straight success in 2024. Few will be betting against them.
West Indies reached 7-125 after being put in to bat, Georgia Wareham (2-17), captain Sophie Molineux (2-30) and player-of-the-match Gardner (2-13) each taking two wickets. Australia, never troubled, then sped to victory in 13 overs.
West Indies might have got an inkling it was not to be their day when star allrounder Deandra Dottin was carried from the boundary edge with an injury between the anthems and first ball.
She left the medical room behind the stands in a wheelchair with no immediate official word over her condition. She did, however, recover to contribute late in the innings, giving West Indies faint hope with 26 off 16 balls.
West Indies survived a couple of early scares – Lucy Hamilton diving full length to put down a half-chance off Matthews before Georgia Voll was unable to hold on to one straight down the throat from Qiana Joseph at deep midwicket.
If there’s been one shortcoming in Australia’s campaign, it has been catching. Just 64 per cent of their opportunities in group-stage matches were taken, only the eighth-best in the tournament.
The introduction of Wareham brought the immediate breakthrough, and the prized wicket of Matthews, who was bowled around her legs when attempting to paddle one around the corner when on 30.
Six balls later, it was the end for fellow opener Joseph, on 16, trying to clear the ropes as Molineux returned to the attack only to pick out the safe hands of Gardner.
Aussies turned the screw in the next over, Stefanie Taylor departing for a duck after a tame leading edge went straight to Kim Garth, leaving West Indies on 3-59. Gardner then took her second wicket in the same over, sending back a scoreless Jahzara Claxton.
West Indies had slipped to 6-83 when Shemaine Campbelle followed a four by attempting a repeat but found only the reliable Ellyse Perry taking the catch.
Dottin produced a few fireworks in the final stages but overall the West Indies innings had been something of a damp squib.
That was never likely to be the case with the rampant Aussies, who had won all five group matches on their way to the last-four.
They finished the powerplay on 2-63 – West Indies had made 0-35 from theirs – and despite the losses of Voll (16), bowled by Chinelle Henry, and Phoebe Litchfield (4), trapped lbw by Matthews, the outcome looked less in doubt with each passing ball.
Perry retired hurt at the end of the eighth over after a quick single made it two from seven balls. There was no pronounced limp as she walked off with the physio and word from the Aussie camp was that she had gone off with “quad awareness”.
Gardner replaced her in the middle and immediately drove Aaliyah Alleyne through the covers.
The imperious Mooney and the hard-hitting Gardner completed the job. Mooney brought up her 50 in 29 balls, her third-fastest international T20 half-century. There was no stopping them.
AAP
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