(Cricket news) In the 1st semi-final of the 2022 Women's World Cup, Australia defeated West Indies by 157 runs in a rain affected encounter. The Aussies are still unbeaten in the tournament as they reach the final for the 9th time. They will now face the winner of England vs South Africa in the ultimate final. After a rain delay, the overs were cut down to 45 each before the toss which was won by Stefanie Taylor who elected to bowl first.

West Indies effectively lost the match in the first quarter itself as Alyssa Healy and Rachel Haynes put on a 218 run opening partnership. The pair displayed some top class batting as they packed their innings really well. Healy reached her century while Haynes fell 15 runs short but laid the foundation for Australia. The Windies who are usually great were absolutely abysmal in the field. They dropped 4 catches in the opening partnership itself and had quite a few midfields. The bowlers did exactly what the openers wanted them to. Late fireworks from Beth Mooney took Australia to 305 runs in the 45 overs.

There was a small period in the chase where West Indies looked to have intent but it soon faded. All Australian bowlers except Darcie Brown picked up wickets as the umpires flicked the bails after the score was 148-8 in 37 overs. The body language of the West Indians after the first 30 overs of the first innings itself was just off. They didn't celebrate wickets even when they could've come back into the game. There was a clear gap in the level of the two teams but West Indies were the underdogs and reaching the semifinals was also a big achievement.

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