London, June 30 (IANS) Beth Mooney produced another masterclass in an ICC knockout match while Ashleigh Gardner capped an outstanding all-round performance as six-time champions Australia crushed West Indies by eight wickets with 42 balls to spare in the first semifinal of the Women’s T20 World Cup at The Oval on Tuesday, booking their place in the tournament final for the eighth time.

Australia’s chase of 126 runs finished with seven overs to spare, marking the biggest victory by balls remaining in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup knockout history for targets over 100. The previous record was 29 balls remaining, set by Australia against England in the 2014 and 2018 finals.

Mooney stayed unbeaten at 61 off 36 balls, achieving the fourth-highest individual score by an Australian in a Women’s T20 World Cup knockout match. Only her own 78 against India in the 2020 final, Alyssa Healy’s 75 against India in the 2020 final, and her 74 against South Africa in the 2023 final rank higher.

Earlier, Australia won the toss and chose to field in the important semi-final. Even before the match began, West Indies faced a setback when star all-rounder Deandra Dottin was taken to the medical room shortly after the national anthems. The West Indies head coach confirmed during the innings break that Dottin experienced a minor medical issue.

West Indies started steadily, with captain Hayley Matthews leading the effort. She looked in good form and hit some impressive boundaries, while Qiana Joseph had trouble rotating the strike at the other end. As dot balls piled up, Australia found the breakthrough they needed when Georgia Wareham took a wicket with her first delivery, getting Matthews out for 30 off 28 balls and ending the 47-run opening partnership. Joseph’s tough innings ended when she scored 16 off 22 balls.

The innings quickly fell apart as West Indies went from 47/1 to 83/6, with Australia’s disciplined bowling taking charge. Shemaine Campbelle tried to rebuild with 22 off 25 balls, but wickets kept falling around her.

A vital 42-run partnership for the seventh wicket between Jannillea Glasgow, who scored 15, and the returning Dottin, who finished not out on 26 off just 16 balls, lifted West Indies to 125/7 after 20 overs. However, this total seemed low against Australia’s strong batting lineup.

Australia began their chase aggressively. Georgia Voll scored regularly until Chinelle Henry dismissed her for 16 off 11 balls, while Phoebe Litchfield managed just 4 before getting out cheaply.

From that point on, Mooney took control. The left-hander kept the scoreboard moving with sharp shot selection, reaching a fantastic half-century off just 29 deliveries, ensuring Australia remained in command throughout the chase.

There was a minor injury concern in the seventh over when Ellyse Perry left the field with a quad issue for assessment. Australia hopes the experienced all-rounder recovers in time for Sunday’s final.

Any worries with the batting soon faded as Mooney and Gardner formed a strong partnership. Gardner, who had earlier excelled with the ball, contributed an unbeaten 35, while Mooney remained not out on 61. The pair added an unbroken 84-run partnership for the third wicket, leading Australia to a confident eight-wicket victory and another appearance in the Women’s T20 World Cup final.

Earlier, Gardner also shone with the ball, finishing with figures of 2/13. Captain Sophie Molineux took 2/30, Georgia Wareham had 2/17, and Annabel Sutherland contributed with 1/26, as Australia delivered another strong all-around performance that highlighted why they are a top team in women’s cricket.

Brief scores:

West Indies 125/7 in 20 overs (Hayley Matthews 30, Deandra Dottin 26; Ashleigh Gardner 2-13, Georgia Wareham 2-17) lost to Australia 127/2 in 13 overs (Beth Mooney 61 not out, Ashleigh Gardner 35 not out; Chinelle Henry 1-20) by eight wickets.

–IANS

hs/bsk/