Australia Women began their preparations for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 with a comfortable six-wicket win over West Indies Women in a warm-up match at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. Chasing a target of 132, Australia reached 132/4 in just 15 overs, thanks to an outstanding unbeaten knock from Georgia Voll.
After winning the toss, West Indies Women chose to bat first but found it difficult to build momentum against a disciplined Australian bowling attack. Wickets fell at regular intervals, preventing them from putting together a big total.
Qiana Joseph was dismissed early for 5, while captain Hayley Matthews scored 15 from 19 balls before being bowled by Georgia Wareham. Aaliyah Alleyne added 10 runs, but West Indies were reduced to 52/3 inside the first eight overs.
The innings was then held together by experienced all-rounder Deandra Dottin. She played positively and scored 46 runs from 38 balls, including six boundaries. Dottin looked in good touch and tried to accelerate the scoring rate, but she lacked enough support from the other end.
Jahzara Claxton contributed 15 runs from 17 balls and shared a useful partnership with Dottin. Chinelle Henry chipped in with 9, while Jannillea Glasgow remained unbeaten on 8. However, Australia continued to strike at important moments and did not allow West Indies to take control during the closing overs.
A late collapse further hurt the Caribbean side. Shemaine Campbelle managed only 2 runs, Mandy Mangru scored 6, and Zaida James was dismissed without scoring. Afy Fletcher added 5 runs, but West Indies were eventually bowled out for 131 in their allotted 20 overs.
Australia’s bowlers shared the wickets around and kept the pressure on throughout the innings. Lucy Hamilton impressed with figures of 2 for 19 from three overs, while Ashleigh Gardner picked up 2 for 17. Ellyse Perry, Sophie Molineux, Georgia Wareham, Nicola Carey, and Kim Garth also claimed one wicket each.
Chasing 132, Australia got off to an excellent start. Beth Mooney and Georgia Voll attacked from the beginning and quickly put the West Indies bowlers under pressure. Mooney looked fluent during her innings of 34 from just 18 balls, hitting three fours and a six before retiring out.
The star of the chase, however, was Georgia Voll. The young batter played with confidence and timing, finding the gaps regularly and keeping the scoreboard moving. She remained unbeaten on 77 from 48 balls, smashing 10 fours and two sixes. Her aggressive approach ensured Australia stayed ahead of the required run rate throughout the innings.
West Indies managed a few breakthroughs in the middle overs. Karishma Ramharack dismissed Ellyse Perry for 5, while Qiana Joseph removed Ashleigh Gardner after she scored 7. Hayley Matthews also picked up the wicket of Georgia Wareham.
Despite losing a few wickets, Australia were never under real pressure. Voll continued to anchor the chase, while Annabel Sutherland stayed unbeaten on 6 at the other end. The pair guided Australia to victory with five overs to spare.
The result was a positive start for Australia ahead of the World Cup, with both their bowlers and batters delivering strong performances. For West Indies, Dottin’s fighting innings was a major positive, but they will be looking for bigger contributions from the rest of the batting unit as the tournament draws closer.
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