Australia defeated the West Indies by eight wickets at The Kia Oval to secure their spot in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 final. Chasing a modest target of 126, the world number one side ruthlessly reached 127/2 in just 13 overs.
Beth Mooney anchored the run chase with a dominant 61 not out off 36 deliveries. The victory propels Australia into their eighth final across the ten editions of the tournament, keeping them on track to add another trophy to their record six titles.
The West Indies batted first and struggled to build momentum, finishing their 20 overs at 125/7. Hayley Matthews provided some early resistance for the T20 World Cup semi-finalists with 30 runs before falling to Georgia Wareham.
Ashleigh Gardner dismantled the middle order. She took two wickets for just 13 runs across her four overs to restrict the scoring rate. Wareham and Sophie Molineux also claimed two wickets each to stifle the West Indies attack.
In a unique subplot, Deandra Dottin suffered an injury scare during the national anthems and was forced off the field. She later returned at number eight, managing to top-score for her team with an unbeaten 26 off 16 balls to keep the innings alive.
Australia’s chase was quick and efficient, but it came with one major concern. Star all-rounder Ellyse Perry retired hurt for precautionary reasons after scoring just two runs from seven deliveries. Gardner followed up her bowling display by hitting an unbeaten 35 off 20 balls alongside Mooney, earning Player of the Match honors.
Australia now heads to Lord’s for Sunday’s final. They await the winner of the second semi-final between hosts England and South Africa.