Gardner powers Australia into Women’s T20 World Cup final with dominant win over West Indies

LONDON: (Web Desk) – Australia stormed into the final of the Women’s T20 World Cup after defeating the West Indies by eight wickets in a one-sided semi-final at The Oval on Tuesday, thanks to an outstanding all-round performance from Ashleigh Gardner.

Chasing a modest target of 126, the six-time champions comfortably reached 126-2 with seven overs to spare, maintaining their unbeaten run in the tournament and securing a place in Sunday’s final at Lord’s.

Gardner played a pivotal role in Australia’s victory, first claiming impressive bowling figures of 2-13 to restrict the West Indies to 125-7, before scoring an unbeaten 35 during the run chase. Opener Beth Mooney anchored the innings with an unbeaten 61 to guide Australia home.

Speaking after being named Player of the Match, Gardner said the victory gave the team valuable momentum ahead of the final, adding that she was pleased to make her biggest impact with the ball at the crucial stage of the tournament.

The West Indies suffered an early setback when experienced batter Deandra Dottin appeared to faint during the pre-match national anthems and had to leave the field for medical attention. She later returned to score an unbeaten 26 off 16 balls, helping her side cross the 100-run mark after a dramatic collapse that saw them lose four wickets for just 12 runs.

West Indies captain Hayley Matthews praised Dottin’s determination, describing the incident as a medical emergency and commending her resilience in returning to bat despite the scare.

Australia also had an injury concern when veteran all-rounder Ellyse Perry retired hurt with a thigh issue during the chase. However, captain Sophie Molineux expressed confidence that Perry would recover in time for Sunday’s final, saying the injury was only minor quad tightness.

Australia will now face the winner of the second semi-final between hosts England and South Africa in the Women’s T20 World Cup final at Lord’s on Sunday.