Australia into eighth Women’s T20 World Cup final: Mooney, Gardner star as Australia cruised past West Indies by eight wickets in the first semi-final at the Kennington Oval in London on Tuesday. The six-time champions continued their dominant run in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, booking a spot in the final for the eighth time with their sixth straight win of the tournament.
Captain Sophie Molineux won the toss and elected to bowl first, a decision that paid off as Australia’s bowlers kept West Indies under constant pressure. West Indies finished on 125/7 after a promising start, with captain Hayley Matthews top-scoring with 30 off 28 balls. Australia’s spin attack dismantled the middle order, with Georgia Wareham taking 2/17 and Ashleigh Gardner conceding just 13 runs in four overs while taking two wickets. Deandra Dottin showed tremendous determination, returning from injury to score an unbeaten 26 off 16 balls.
Australia made light work of the chase, reaching 127/2 in just 13 overs. Beth Mooney anchored the innings with a superb unbeaten 61 off 36 balls, striking eight fours. She found the perfect partner in Ashleigh Gardner, who blasted an unbeaten 35 off 20 balls with four boundaries and a six. The pair added an unbroken 63-run partnership, sealing victory with 42 balls to spare and underlining Australia’s dominance.
Australia into eighth Women’s T20 World Cup final and will face the winner of the second semi-final between England and South Africa. With a disciplined bowling display and confident batting, Australia remain the team to beat as they chase yet another title.