Beth Mooney powers Australia into final with record performance

Staff Report: PNN

Australia once again proved their dominance in women’s T20 cricket, defeating West Indies by 8 wickets in the first semifinal to reach yet another World Cup final.

Batting first in the Oval match, West Indies scored 125 for 7 in 20 overs.

Captain Hayley Matthews scored 28 runs, while Deandra Dottin remained unbeaten on 26 off 16 balls despite injury.

Australia’s Ashley Gardner took two wickets for just 13 runs. Georgia Wareham and Sophie Molineux also took two wickets each.

Chasing 126, Australia lost two early wickets but recovered quickly. Beth Mooney and Ashley Gardner built an unbeaten 63-run partnership to secure victory in just 13 overs.

Mooney scored an unbeaten 61 off 36 balls, hitting eight boundaries. She also set a new record for the fastest fifty in a women’s T20 World Cup semifinal or final, reaching the milestone in 29 balls.

Gardner remained unbeaten on 35 and was named Player of the Match for her all-round performance.

Australia has reached the final eight times out of ten editions of the Women’s T20 World Cup.

They will face either England or South Africa in the final on July 5.