Sophie Molineux said Australia had simply embraced the chaos of tournament T20 cricket, describing the World Cup as “full of momentum swings” and something you “just have to ride” as her side dismantled West Indies to storm into Sunday’s final.
Australia’s eight‑wicket win, sealed with 42 balls still in the bank, underlined how one‑sided the semifinal had been, and it might have been even more brutal had Deandra Dottin not produced a late burst after suffering a worrying pre‑match medical scare. Her arrival at No 8 was a reminder of how disrupted the West Indies’ plans had become.
Molineux said the Australian group had genuinely enjoyed the campaign, even with the pressure of knockout cricket hanging over them, and that the mood in the squad remained relaxed and grounded. She admitted she had “no idea” about Dottin’s condition until after the match, praising the West Indies veteran for still managing to shift the tempo of the innings.
She highlighted the new‑ball work of Kim Garth and Lucy Hamilton, saying they were “a good matchup for the openers” and set the tone for Australia’s control through the middle overs. As for the chase, she said the plan was simple: “We just wanted to get it done as quickly as we can.”
𝙎𝙄𝙈𝙋𝙇𝙔 𝙄𝙉𝙀𝙑𝙄𝙏𝘼𝘽𝙇𝙀 🔥
— ICC (@ICC) June 30, 2026
Australia book their place in the Women's #T20WorldCup final for the eighth time in 10 editions 👏 pic.twitter.com/WdzzgNyjpm
On Ellyse Perry retiring hurt, Molineux stressed the decision was precautionary rather than serious and said the allrounder was expected to be available for the final. With Australia now one step away from another global title, she said the squad was looking forward to “a good night’s sleep,” a quiet celebration of “a pretty cool couple of weeks,” and then a reset before the weekend.
Hayley Matthews admitted West Indies never quite found their rhythm across the tournament, saying the side “did not have our best game or play to our full potential”, and struggled to produce a complete team performance. She described Dottin’s collapse during the anthems as “a bit scary,” calling her a massive part of the team and praising her resilience for returning to play so strongly.
Matthews said the uncertainty around Dottin’s availability forced a rethink of their early plans: they wanted to start fast and put Australia under pressure, but also needed to take the game deep in case Dottin couldn’t bat.
Despite the defeat, Matthews said the squad could hold their heads high. Alleyne and Taylor earned praise for their contributions, and she emphasised that reaching the semi‑finals without any standout individual performances showed the value of collective effort. “We have a lot more players playing roles,” she said, “and we’ll only get better.”
Player of the Match Ashleigh Gardner said Australia had expected a good batting surface at The Oval and were pleased to deliver a complete performance in both disciplines. She was satisfied to make a stronger impact with the ball after a quieter tournament, saying it was pleasing to “save my best for now” and pick up key wickets during West Indies’ collapse.
Gardner said the spin group focused on controlling boundary options on a pitch with inconsistent bounce, treating “dots and ones as wins” against a side that prefers to hit hard.