Women’s T20 World Cup 2026: Semi-finals Kick Off In London Today
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
Australia vs. West Indies: Aussies Eye Seventh T20 World Title
Just 48 hours after ending India’s 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup campaign and clinching top spot in Group A of the competition, Australia now turn their focus to the West Indies in the first semi-final at The Oval in London this afternoon.
As shown in our Australia vs West Indies prediction, the Women from Down Under are massive favourites coming into this clash, still unbeaten in this year’s tournament, while chasing an eighth final and a record-extending seventh world title.
The Aussies have looked a cut above the rest this year and kicked off their campaign with a 65-run thumping of South Africa. They followed up with a nine-wicket victory over Bangladesh and a comfortable 98-run win against the Netherlands before their six-wicket triumph over the Women in Blue.
Notably, Australia do not have any player currently ranked in the top-three run-scorer standings, underlining just how well-balanced their side is, with key contributions being made from their entire batting order.
In contrast, the West Indies looked good during the early stages, notching up victories over New Zealand, Scotland and Sri Lanka, but they ended the group stage with back-to-back losses against England and Ireland, which saw them eke through on net run rate.
The Windies’ record against Australia does not inspire too much confidence either. In 19 T20 encounters, the Women from the Caribbean have only managed two wins, while they’ve only beaten the Aussies once in six T20 World Cup clashes (the 2016 final).
England vs South Africa: Proteas Seek Upset on Enemy Territory
Along with Australia, England have been excellent in the 2026 World Cup, having booked their place in the semi-finals with a game to spare. However, that did not stop them from storming to a nine-wicket victory over New Zealand in their final group-stage match.
The tournament hosts had earlier defeated Sri Lanka, Ireland, Scotland and the West Indies, which saw them finish top of Group B with a perfect record of five wins in five matches and a solid net run rate of 2.134, only bettered by the Australians.
Danni Wyatt-Hodge has been the standout performer for the English Women in this competition. The veteran all-rounder is the leading scorer in the tournament with 282 runs, including a best of 105* in her opening match against Sri Lanka at Edgbaston Cricket Ground.
Meanwhile, South Africa recorded a resilient four-wicket victory over Bangladesh in their final match of the group stage, which ultimately earned them a spot in the final four after India proved no match for Australia in the Group A finale.
While South Africa is the only team from the semi-finalists yet to win a T20 World Cup, they have improved massively in recent years. After reaching just one semi-final in the first six editions of the tournament, this will be their fourth straight appearance in the final four of this competition.
The last time England and South Africa locked horns in the shortest format was in 2024 when the English swept the series 3-0. South Africa did get back at them, though, beating England in the ODI World Cup semi-final in October last year.
