The Indian team, in the crowd for the first semi-final, are now warming up for their match against England. Join us in a bit for the Live blog of the second semi-final to decide who plays Australia on Saturday.. The match starts at 5.30 AM IST.
Alyssa Healy (who else?!) is named Player of the Match for her 46 off 38, run out & stumping.
That’s her fourth award in 5 matches this World T20. She didn’t bat in the last match because of a mild concussion.
Australia beat defending champions West Indies by 71 runs to reach their fifth straight World T20 final!
Wareham gets the final wicket as Selman in stumped to end the Windies chase on 71. Fitting that Healy is involved in the final dismissal!
But it an emotional time for the hosts as the players break down on the sidelines. The last World T20 was a game changer for the title holders, a huge loss like this in front of home fans will be hard to digest.
After 16 overs, Windies 71/9 - Connell 6, Selman 3
Dropped! Perry is only human after all. She drops a skier off Connell, but it only delaying the inevitable.
After 16 overs, Windies 65/9 - Connell 2, Selman 1
Fletcher is bowled! Nine pins, really, as the ninth wicket falls to Gardner, Australia one wicket away from a place in the final, again.
After 15 overs, Windies 60/8 - Fletcher 3, Connell 1
Schutt gets on the wickets column as well as Henry offers yet another soft catch to the Aussie fielding.
After 14 overs, Windies 56/7 - Henry 7, Fletcher 1
Only 2 runs off the Gardner over.. but no wicket, at least.
After 13 overs, Windies 54/7 - Henry 6, Fletcher 0
A wicket an over, almost, as another one falls. Britney Cooper mishits it straight up and Healy takes it comfortably... following it up with a neat, little jig. Kimmince gets her second as West Indies need 89 off 42.
After 12 overs, Windies 50/6 - Cooper 1, Henry 4
This is a procession now as Knight also departs; caught in the deep, perishing with the gamble of a big hit. Gardner gets on the scoreboard as the two new, lower-order batters try to hold off the inevitable in the middle. Henry gets a consolation boundary but the RRR is well over 11.
After 11 overs, Windies 45/5 - Knight 7, Cooper 0
Wicket! Uh-oh, Taylor’s flourish in the last over is short-lived as she falls to Molineux on the first ball of the over. Looking to play big, she lofts it but does get the elevation as the ball finds the filers. That is half the team and the captain back in the shed, how long can Windies hold on to the holders tag here? The dug-out looks distraught.
After 10 overs, Windies 44/4 - Taylor 16, Knight 6
Leg spinner Wareham comes into the attack and Taylor chooses to attack from the very first ball with a well-placed four. Seven runs off the over as West Indies need 99 runs from 60 balls.
After 9 overs, Windies 37/4 - Taylor 11, Knight 4
The required run rate climbs near 10 as Kimmince bowls another tight over for Australia.
After 8 overs, Windies 34/4 - Taylor 8, Knight 4
Gardner gives away only 4 in her first over, all singles.
After 7 overs, Windies 30/4 - Taylor 6, Knight 2
Kimmince comes in and gets wicket no 4 on her second ball, it looks almost easy for Australia. McLean chips it straight to the fielder at cover. The defending champions need an anchor here, can Taylor play that role?
After 6 overs, Windies 26/3 - Taylor 4, McLean 0
Fair to say the Powerplay went Australia’s way. Schutt comes back after her expensive first over, and this time she gives away only one.
After 5 overs, Windies 25/3 - Taylor 3, McLean 0
Perry on fire here! Only 2 runs and a wicket off her second over as she gets Campbelle caught to square leg. Simple catch for Molineux, lots of trouble for West Indies early in the chase.
After 4 overs, Windies 23/2 - Taylor 2, Campbelle 6
Much better for the hosts as Campbelle sweeps Molineux for a boundary.
After 3 overs, Windies 15/2 - Taylor 0, Campbelle 0
Cometh the hour, cometh the star all-rounder. Ellyse Perry gets the massive wicket of the dangerous Deandra Dottin, whop chops it onto her stumps. Wicket maiden, for good measure. The Aussies have wrested early momentum in the chase here.
After 2 overs, Windies 15/1 - Dottin 6, Taylor 0
OUT! It’s a run-out, thanks to some sharp thinking by Alyssa Healy behind the stumps. Matthews is gone. Molineux gets one to turn, Matthews gets some bat on it and takes off for a run thinking she connected it (we guess?). Healy picks the ball up from in front of the sttumps and whips the bails off.
After 1 over, Windies 10/0 - Dottin 1, Matthews 5
10 runs from the first over Windies! Now, that’s a handy start. Schutt with a couple of wides down the leg stump. And then one short and wide, Matthews cuts it over point. Couple of leg byes to finish the over.
Australia 142/5 after 20 overs - 28 runs from the last 2 overs!
Another boundary for Haynes in the final over. End of 20 overs: Good finish for Australia, as Haynes plays an useful cameo at the end. 142/5 is what they finish with. Alyssa Healy the top-scorer again!
Target: 143 for Windies on a slow pitch. Can they pull it off?
Australia 133/5 after 19 overs
Momentum for Australia! 4, wide, 4, wide, 4 to begin the over for Haynes off Dottin. Pace on the ball is hurting Windies at the end here. Dottin’s radar is off. This could be a massive, massive over. 17 from it overall.
Australia 116/5 after 18 overs - CATCH!
Villani’s gone and it’s a three-run over from captain Taylor. Windies have been electric on the field all tournament and that’s just the latest example. A stunning low catch at deep midwicket by Cooper and Villani’s gone. The crowd’s loving this!
Perry is in with two overs left.
Australia 113/4 after 17 overs - Dottin strikes!
There she is. Dottin comes in to bowl in the death and strikes in her first over. And the big wicket of Lanning too!
How would you rate that 39-ball 31 from Lanning? It’s one of those innings that we’ll know the value of, once we see both teams bat on the pitch.
10 runs did come from that over, thanks to a leg-bye four too.
Australia 103/3 after 16 overs
100 up for Australia in the 16th over... Lanning and Villani in the middler. Perry to come. How many can they end up with?
Fletcher finishes her spell, a boundary in that over to Villani. Full toss swept away.
Time for some pace from Dottin.
After 15 overs, Australia 95/3
Once again, when you thought Australia had some momentum, West Indies take a wicket. Matthews removes Gardner as she tries to clear the fielder at mid-off but ends up finding her. Lanning had started the over with a boundary off a similar shot.
After 14 overs, Australia 88/2
Matthews is unlucky not to have a wicket. Another outside edge that is not gathered by Knight, goes for four. A streaky start to Gardner’s innings.
Fletcher continues, as Taylor brings in a fly slip. Ashleigh Gardner finishes the over in style with a straight six! Down the ground, smacked over the fielder at long on. Gutsy shot on this pitch.
After 12 overs, Australia 71/2 - Lanning 19, Garnder 0
BIG WICKET! The home crowd knows, the Winides know it. Alyssa Healy goes for 46, top edging a sweep.
Over started well for Australia with back-to-back boundaries. Hitting through the line is difficult, so Healy plays a lovely reverse sweep followed by a conventional one. 50 partnership between Healy and Lanning came up as well.
After 11 overs, Australia 61/1 - Healy 37, Lanning 18
Mathews continues. Healy plays a late cut, knowing behind the wicket is where the value for runs is. Goes for a big shot over square leg, with the spin. Good over, 8 runs for Australia.
After 10 overs, Australia 53/1 - Healy 31, Lanning 17
50 up for Australia in the 10th over (not something you’d see in an Australian T20 innings). The squeeze is on says Nasser Hussain as Fletcher, with her wrist spin, bowls a tight over. Australia are now focussing on rotating the strike, looks like they have recalibrated their radar.
After 9 overs, Australia 48/1 - Healy 29, Lanning 13
Meg Lanning’s day or what?! First ball of Mathews’ over, Lanning thinks she’s gone, stumped. But she’s made it back in time! Next ball, Dottin with a stunning piece of fielding at point that almost has Lanning run out, but her dive saves her! Top cricket all around.
After 8 overs, Australia 45/1 - Healy 25, Lanning 4
A boundary in the 7th over for Lanning. Lofted over long on. Class batting, knew where exactly the field was.
No boundaries in captain Taylor’s over, just four singles. A half chance too as Healy edges a cut but it’s too quick for the keeper.
After 6 overs, Australia 35/1 - Healy 25, Lanning 4
End of powerplay: Australia’s lowest score after the first 6 overs in this tournament! Windies will be happy with the start. Taylor got some turn too in that over — slow turn as it was.
(Whisper it, but if India are watching this match, they would be grinning with joy at how the pitch is playing so far)
After 5 overs, Australia 31/1 - Healy 18, Lanning 1
The ball is definitely holding up as Meg Lanning has a smile to say “what just happened” when a ball stops on her. Low scoring games on the cards? Healy with a big shot in that over, that stops in the outfield.
First sign of spin...
After 4 overs, Australia 25/1 - Healy 18, Lanning 1
Another indication that hitting through the line is not going to be easy. Healy goes for a big shot over mid-off, Henry runs back and gets an hand to it but that was a tough, tough chance.
After 3 overs, Australia 21/1 - Healy 15, Lanning 0
EVENTFUL OVER. Alyssa Healy hits the first maximum of the semifinals. Straight down the ground, brilliant timing. And then Windies draw first blood! Selman draws Mooney out of the crease and the ball is chipped to the fielder at mid-off. Slowness of the pitch? Sure looked like it.
Lanning walks to the middle earlier than she would have liked
After 2 overs, Australia 13/0 - Healy 7, Mooney 6
A good over from Shamilia Connell spoiled by a pick up shot from Mooney over midwicket, the ball trickles to the fence as it was not quite well-timed. Five runs from that over.
After 1 over, Australia 8/0 - Healy 6, Mooney 2
And there goes Alyssa Healy, short of good length from Selman, slammed over midwicket for four. Finishes the over with a lofted off drive that falls short of long off. A trap set for Healy and she almost fell for it.
Early signs that the pitch is two-paced too.
1.31 am: The semifinals are underway! Will it be West Indies reaching back-to-back finals or will Australia end the defending champions reign? Mooney and Healy in the middle for Australia...
1.26 am: As we wait for the first ball to be bowled, here’s a look at what the captains had to say in the lead up to the big game.
Australia captain Meg Lanning:
“Coming up against the West Indies, we know they’re a very dangerous team, and in a World Cup it is always very difficult to win semi-finals. It’s a new game. We’re really excited about the opportunity that we’ve got to play in a World Cup semifinal in front of a really big crowd.
“We were speaking earlier about just really embracing that opportunity. You don’t get to come back here very often, so we’re just really looking forward to the opportunity to come up against a good team and hopefully put on a good show.”
Windies captain Stafanie Taylor:
“Well, five months ago, I’m not sure anyone or a lot of people (in the West Indies) would know about women’s cricket, and to see that amount of people coming to the game is elating, and I’m sure the players are elated, as well. I hope that it continues, so not just for [SF] but it continues for a longer time
“You know, that’s (the 2016 Final), that’s the past, and [this match] is definitely what counts. I have a feeling that the Aussies might look at it as revenge, but for us, that’s the past, and [this] game is definitely what counts.”
1.24 am: Time for the national anthems! There is a good crowd in already by the looks of it, which is great to see.
1.22 am: In the 2016 Women’s World T20 final, West Indies became the first women’s team other than Australia, England & NZ to win a world title. Incredibly, this is the first T20I meeting between Australia and Windies since!
Australia playing XI:
Alyssa Healy (wk)
Beth Mooney
Ashleigh Gardner
Meg Lanning (c)
Elyse Villani
Rachael Haynes
Ellyse Perry
Sophie Molineux
Delissa Kimmince
Georgia Wareham
Megan Schutt
Windies Playing XI:
Hayley Matthews
Deandra Dottin
Stafanie Taylor (c)
Shemaine Campbelle
Natasha McLean
Britney Cooper
Kycia Knight (wk)
Chinelle Henry
Afy Fletcher
Shakera Selman
Shamilia Connel
1.09 am:
BIG NEWS: The in-form Alyssa Healy is fit after suffering a concussion against India. Big boost for Australia. Windies are unchanged.
1.03 am: TOSS: Windies have won the toss in Antigua and they will be bowling first against the world No 1 Australia.
12.55 am: Hello all and welcome to the live blog of the first semi-final of the Women’s World T20 as two former champions take on each other.
The ICC Women’s World T20 2018 is set for its knockout phase as action moves to the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua.
The upcoming fixtures will feature rematches of big-ticket games from the last two years; First match will see the hosts and defending champions the Windies take on Australia in a repeat of the final of the ICC Women’s World T20 2016. On that occasion, the Windies scripted a famous win, becoming only the fourth team to win a world title since 1973.
Then, India will face England as the lights take full effect, a repeat of the nail-biting final the two played out in the ICC Women’s World Cup last year. England won that tournament after a tumultuous year, while India narrowly missed a first world title.
The evening promises excellent cricket and a great atmosphere, with the 12,500 capacity Sir Vivian Richards Stadium nearly sold-out