Australia v West Indies: Women’s T20 World Cup semi-final - live

Key events

WICKET! Joseph c Gardner b Molineux 16 (West Indies 55-2)

And that’s your lot. Joseph swings, but can only find the hands of Ash Gardner on the boundary. A tough innings for Joseph who finishes with 16 off 22.

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9th over: West Indies 55-1 (Campbell 8, Joseph 16)

A really lovely start from Campbell, who sweeps and then back foot punches two boundaries to start her innings.

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WICKET! Matthews b Wareham 30 (West Indies 47-1)

That is the big one. Matthews goes to paddle sweep Georgia Wareham’s first ball but gets nothing apart from fresh air. Aussies have their first wicket and Shermaine Campbell comes to the crease.

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8th over: West Indies 47-0 (Matthews 30, Joseph 16)

Take that, Mel Jones. Joseph launches one 85m and into the stands. The Windies coach Shane Deitz had gone out after the powerplay and given some technical advice. And it has worked! She follows up her six with a two over mid-off as well. I said it to begin with and will say it again. Long live Qiana Joseph.

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“Tactical drop?” Asks Mel Jones.

Now, now….

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7th over: West Indies 37-0 (Matthews 29, Joseph 7)

Here she is! Qiana Joseph nails one hard and flat only for Georgia Voll to drop it on the fence! All of that for one run.

Ash Gardner is on by the way. And she concedes only two runs in total from the over.

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Should add Lucy Hamilton put down a fiendishly difficult chance the last ball of that over as well, diving at short fine leg. “Four runs saved,” says Carlos Brathwaite. And I’m inclined to agree.

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6th over: West Indies 35-0 (Matthews 28, Joseph 6)

It’s a tale of two ends here. Matthews is cruising on 28 off 20. Joseph is really struggling on 6 off 16. Windies coach throws his back in frustration following Joseph’s latest dot faced. When she’s on she can hit the ball harder than anyone in the women’s game. But she is currently not on.

Powerplay done.

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5th over: West Indies: 28-0 (Matthews 22, Joseph 5)

And just the one run from the fifth over. Qiana Joseph is swinging for the hills but no contact is being made. She’s struggling out there. Currently on 5 off 13.

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4th over: West Indies: 27-0 (Matthews 21, Joseph 5)

Just the two runs off the fourth over as Australia turn the screw. Good stuff from Kim Garth.

We’re still awaiting an update on Deandra Dottin.

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3rd over: West Indies 25-0 (Matthews 20, Joseph 4)

Delicious from Matthews who carves a ball behind point for four. Solid start from the Windies here. I think you just need to get yourself to 160 and then ask for help from whomever you take your solace. Easier said than done, but they’re on the right track so far.

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We’ve heard from Andy in FNQ (that’s Far North Queensland for those who don’t know) and he makes a very good point about the Australian team…or more to the point, the player who is not in the Australian team.

“Saw King was left out for Australia. How crazy is it that they can’t fit a player like that in? She’d be first bowler picked in any other team in the world I reckon. She absolutely owned England in the last Ashes tour, no hint of a drop in form and now she can’t get a game. The standard of this team is just ridiculous.”

Andy’s off to bed in 30 minutes as he’s got to go to work in the morning. If you’d like to wish Andy goodnight drop me an email here and I’ll pass it on.

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2nd over: West Indies 15-0 (Matthews 11, Joseph 3)

Edged between slip and short third for four by Matthews. Bit of swing on offer for Kim Garth though so Aussie won’t mind too much.

Joseph nabs a couple off the last ball as well.

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1st over: West Indies 8-0 (Matthews 6, Joseph 1)

Crunched for four first ball from Matthews. Lucy Hamilton has the new-ball for Australia, then a series of singles and one wide to take the score to eight.

Joseph has one off three balls which is 17 fewer than I was hoping for from her.

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Oh blimey, some worrying news to start. Deandra Dottin has been carried off the ground following the anthems by her team mates and does not seem in a good way. The match will begin, but we’ll keep you updated as to what’s going on as currently unclear.

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Updated at 09.33 EDT

Rally round the West Indies is one of the great anthems. Written by the legendary David Rudder, he performed it at the 2024 T20 World Cup in Trinidad and it’s one of my favourite videos. I’ll see if I can dig it out on YouTube.

If you want to read more about the anthem and the man – Ali Martin spoke to him in 2020.

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A man named Rodney Clarke is belting out the anthems. He has a lovely voice. I like Rodney.

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If you’re wondering why a World Cup semi-final is on at 2.30pm on a weekday? Well, it’s to do with India. Had they qualified, they would have played in this fixture regardless, which was scheduled at 2.30pm rather than 6.30pm to better suit an Indian TV audience. Thoughts on a postcard please.

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What will par be here at The Oval? Commentators are saying potentially as high as 180.

Hayley Matthews, who a couple of years ago had a claim of being the best player in the world is due a score, while her opening partner Qiana Joseph is one of my favourite cricketers to watch. She has one shot. And she plays it well. Buckle up for some good viewing.

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West Indies XI

Hayley Matthews (c), Qiana Joseph, Shemaine Campbell (+), Stafanie Taylor, Deandra Dottin, Jahzara Claxton, Chinelle Henry, Jannillea Glasgow, Aaliyah Alleyne, Afy Fletcher, Karishma Ramharack

Unchanged West Indies team as well.

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Australia XI

Australia: Beth Mooney (wk), Georgia Voll, Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Ash Gardner, Georgia Wareham, Annabel Sutherland, Nicola Carey, Sophie Molineux (c), Lucy Hamilton, Kim Garth

Unchanged from the Aussies. Other option would have been to bring the legspinner Alana King back in, but they’ve stuck with Phoebe Litchfield who came back in in the previous match.

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Updated at 09.08 EDT

“A good call from Sophie Molineux,” says former England bowler Tash Farrant on the broadcast. Runs flow at The Oval and Surrey, when they do win the toss, generally look to chase as well.

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Aussies are unchanged from their last group stage game, meanwhile Hayley Matthews says she would have had a bowl as well had they won the toss.

“One of the best wickets in England,” says Matthews. So we’re expecting some runs.

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Australia win the toss and bowl

The West Indies captain, Hayley Matthews, calls tails, it’s a head and Australia will have a bowl.

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Updated at 09.04 EDT

Rightio, news from the middle is incoming. The captains and officials are gathering in the middle. I’ll let you know what’s happening, as soon as I know.

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And we have yet more content for your eyes with this review by Raf of the competition so far.

double quotation markIt’s been incredible. We set out on a mission to break women’s cricket into the mainstream and over the course of the last three weeks we’ve seen record-breaking crowds. I feel like we’ve definitely delivered.”

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Want to get in touch with any thoughts, feelings, suspicions or opinions? Doesn’t have to even be about the match, really.

Email me here to get involved.

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Want to read a preview of the semi-final by Raf Nicholson? Go on then. She caught up with Windies skipper Hayley Matthews ahead of the crunch semi-final.

double quotation mark“There is an added fire to us when people think we can’t get the job done.”

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A tale of two journeys for each of the teams to this point. The West Indies were three from three, before suffering a heavy defeat at the hands of England and then a shock loss to Ireland – for whom it was their first ever World Cup victory at the 21st time of asking.

Meanwhile, Australia? Well…the margins of victory read: 65 runs, nine wickets, 98 runs, 113 runs and six wickets. Their match against India threatened briefly to be close, but then there was an Ellyse Perry and Ash Gardner masterclass.

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Preamble

Welcome one, welcome all to another OBO liveblog and far more importantly the first semi-final of the T20 Women’s World Cup.

It’s Australia vs West Indies. And there’s no two ways about it, the robots from Down Under are heavy, heavy favourites. They’ve demolished everything in their path so far, but the Windies are known for springing a surprise or two so stay tuned.

Toss and team news at 2.00pm BST!

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Updated at 08.43 EDT

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