Australia captain Sophie Molineux has eased fears over Ellyse Perry’s fitness after the experienced all-rounder was forced to retire hurt during Australia’s impressive semi-final win over the West Indies at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 on Tuesday, June 30, at The Oval, London.
Australia booked their place in the final with a comfortable eight-wicket victory, but there was concern when Perry walked off the field with the team physio during the run chase. However, Molineux said the injury does not appear to be serious and expects Perry to be ready for the title clash on Sunday, July 5, at Lord’s.
“Yeah, a bit of that again. I think just some quad awareness. But it sounds like she should be more than okay to go on Sunday,” Molineux said.
Perry came in to bat after Australia lost Phoebe Litchfield in the fifth over while chasing 126. She was unbeaten on 2 from seven balls when she left the field after Australia’s score had reached 64/2 in the seventh over.
Her early exit worried Australian fans because Perry has been one of the team’s best players during the tournament. Before the semi-final, she had scored back-to-back half-centuries, including an important innings against India that helped Australia stay unbeaten in the group stage.
So far in the tournament, Perry has scored 185 runs in six matches, making her Australia’s highest run-scorer and the fourth-highest run-getter overall. Her experience with both bat and ball has played a big role in Australia’s unbeaten run to the final.
Even without Perry finishing the chase, Australia had little trouble reaching the target. Ash Gardner once again showed why she is one of the world’s best all-rounders. After starring with the ball earlier in the match, Gardner remained unbeaten on 35 and guided Australia home with confidence.
Australia first produced an excellent bowling performance after winning the toss and choosing to bowl. Their bowlers kept the West Indies batters under pressure throughout the innings and restricted them to 125/7 from 20 overs.
Gardner was the standout bowler with two wickets, while the rest of the attack also bowled with great discipline. They did not allow the West Indies to build any big partnerships, making the chase much easier for the Australian batters.
The West Indies had entered the semi-final with confidence after reaching the knockout stage through wins over Sri Lanka, Scotland and New Zealand. However, they found Australia’s all-round strength too difficult to overcome.
Australia’s top order made sure there were no major problems during the chase despite losing a couple of wickets. The team remained calm, kept the required run rate under control and completed the target with plenty of balls left.
The victory continued Australia’s outstanding campaign. The six-time Women’s T20 World Cup champions have now won every match in the tournament and will head into the final full of confidence.
Australia will now play the winner of the second semi-final between England and South Africa in the Women’s T20 World Cup final at Lord’s on Sunday, July 5. While Perry’s brief injury scare was the only concern from the semi-final, Molineux’s update will give Australian fans hope that one of their biggest stars will be fully fit for the tournament’s biggest match.
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