Australia reach their eighth Women's T20 World Cup final: Stats
What's the story
Australia thrashed West Indies to reach the 2026 ICC Women's T20 World Cup final on June 30. The Australian women chased down 126 in just 13 overs in the first semi-final at Kennington Oval, London. While Beth Mooney smashed a match-winning half-century, Ashleigh Gardner contributed with an unbeaten 35 off 20 balls. A concerted bowling effort earlier restricted WI to 125/7.
First innings
WI restricted to 125/7
Being invited to bat, WI had a sluggish start. But they were unbeaten in the Powerplay. In the ninth over, Georgia Wareham broke the 47-run opening stand by dismissing WI skipper Hayley Matthews (30). After six balls, Sophie Molineux got rid of Qiana Joseph (16). Shemaine Campbelle, who held one end, had no reliable partners. With her dismissal, WI slumped to 83/6. However, Deandra Dottin's 16-ball 26* powered the Windies.
Chase
A one-sided chase
Apart from the two wickets of Georgia Voll (16) and Phoebe Litchfield (4), the chase was straightforward. Australia did have a mini scare when all-rounder Ellyse Perry retired hurt, leaving Australia at 64/2. But Mooney was steering Australia to a straightforward win. She smashed an unbeaten 61 off 36 balls (8 fours). And Gardner, who added 63 runs with Mooney, smashed a 20-ball 35*.
Milestone
Eighth 50-plus score in the tournament
Mooney recorded her eighth 50-plus score in the Women's T20 World Cup, now the joint-most with New Zealand's Suzie Bates. She broke a tie with Alyssa Healy and Nat Sciver-Brunt (7 each). In 34 WT20 WC games, the Australian batter has raced to 926 runs at an average of 42.09. Her tally includes a strike rate of 121.20.
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Second player with this record
Mooney also became the second woman to record 30 half-centuries in T20Is. She is only behind India's Smriti Mandhana (35). The Australian batter now has 3,719 runs from 124 WT20Is at 41.32. She has a strike rate of 126.41.
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What about the bowlers?
In the first innings, Gardner was the pick of Australia's bowlers, taking 2/13 in four overs. Georgia Wareham also scalped two wickets for 17 runs in three overs. And Annabel Sutherland chipped in with a wicket.
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Another appearance in final
As mentioned, Australia have reached their eighth Women's T20 World Cup final. They have won the trophy six times. Moreover, Australia are unbeaten in the ongoing edition, having topped Group A with five successive wins.