West Indies out to shake up Australia's World Cup march

On March 29, Ashmini Munisar, playing only her eighth ODI, dismissed Georgia Voll before catching Ellyse Perry off her own bowling, sparking wild celebrations. Hayley Matthews called it a "100-meter sprint to the boundary."

The West Indies skipper knows why. "They're coming up against people who ruled the cricket world when they were younger. I know they look up to those players."

Now these youngsters face women's cricket's all-star team in a knockout clash. Matthews admits they have "nothing to lose" and that underdog narrative will drive them to prove people wrong.

West Indies have the potential to beat anyone on their day, but also tend to lose when expected to win. Beating this Australian team is as tough as it gets in World Cup history. They'll need a freakish performance from many players – including their captain who has historically done well against Australia.

Ash Gardner knows players like Deandra Dottin can "flick a switch pretty quickly." Despite Australia's eight-year dominance, West Indies have still beaten them. And in this tournament, they haven't relied solely on veterans Dottin, Stafanie Taylor and Matthews – others are contributing too.

When: Tuesday, June 30, 2026, 2:30 PM Local/7:00 PM IST

Where: Australia vs West Indies, Semi Final 1, The Oval, London

What to expect: 62-meter boundaries on all sides. The Oval has been a high-scoring venue in The Hundred. Team winning toss likely to chase.

West Indies: Chenille Henry didn't bowl in nets but is expected to be available.

Probable XI: Qiana Joseph, Hayley Matthews (c), Shemaine Campbelle (wk), Stafanie Taylor, Deandra Dottin, Chinelle Henry, Jahzara Claxton, Jannilea Glasgow, Aaliyah Alleyne, Afy Fletcher, Ashmini Munisar

Australia: No changes likely, but Alana King could come in given spinner-friendly surfaces.

Probable XI: Beth Mooney (wk), Georgia Voll, Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Ash Gardner, Georgia Wareham, Annabel Sutherland, Nicola Carey, Sophie Molineux (c), Kim Garth, Alana King

Key stats:

• All five Women's T20 matches at The Oval this year won by chasing teams
• Ellyse Perry needs 20 runs for 2500 T20I runs
• Stafanie Taylor needs two wickets for 100 T20I wickets

Hayley Matthews: "Coming up against Australia, we have nothing to lose…we can be quite fearless."

Ash Gardner: "They've got a lot of class and firepower…Deandra Dottin is a threat in all three phases. She's so fearless. They definitely pose a different threat."