London, June 30: The West Indies have set a modest target of just 126 runs for Australia to reach the final of the T20 World Cup 2026.
In a match held at Kensington Oval, Australian captain Sophie Molinaux won the toss and opted to bowl first. The West Indies managed to score 125 runs, losing 7 wickets in the process.
Captain Hayley Matthews formed a partnership of 47 runs with Kiana Joseph off 49 balls. Matthews scored 30 runs from 28 balls, hitting 5 boundaries before being dismissed. The team faced an early setback, losing their first wicket in the 8.1 overs. Just a over later, they lost Joseph, who scored 16 runs.
Ashley Gardner made a significant impact, taking the wickets of Stephanie Taylor (0) and Jahara Claxton (0) on the second and fifth balls of the 11th over. The West Indies continued to lose wickets at regular intervals, with their score plummeting to 83/6 by the 15.3 overs mark. However, Deandra Dottin and Janilia Glasgow managed to stabilize the innings, adding 42 runs for the seventh wicket in just 27 balls. Dottin remained unbeaten on 26 runs off 16 balls, while Glasgow contributed 15 runs.
For Australia, Sophie Molinaux, Ashley Gardner, and Georgia Wareham each took 2 wickets, while Annabel Sutherland claimed 1 wicket.
The West Indies team included Kiana Joseph, Hayley Matthews (captain), Shemaine Campbell (wicketkeeper), Stephanie Taylor, Deandra Dottin, Chinelle Henry, Jahara Claxton, Janilia Glasgow, Alia Allen, Afy Fletcher, and Karishma Ramharack.
Meanwhile, under Sophie Molinaux’s captaincy, Australia fielded Georgia Voll, Beth Mooney (wicketkeeper), Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Ashley Gardner, Georgia Wareham, Annabel Sutherland, Nicola Carey, Kim Garth, and Lucy Hamilton.
In the group stage, Australia won all 5 of their matches, while the West Indies secured victories in 3 out of 5 matches in Group B. The second semifinal of this edition will be played on July 2 between England and South Africa, with the final scheduled for July 5.
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