Sophie Molineux praised Australia's composure and all-round excellence after the six-time champions powered into their eighth ICC Women's T20 World Cup final with a commanding eight-wicket victory over West Indies at The Oval in London on Tuesday, 30 June. The win underlined Australia's enduring dominance in the shortest format of the women's game.

How Australia Dismantled West Indies

Molineux, Gardner, and Georgia Wareham each claimed two wickets apiece to restrict West Indies to a modest 125/7. The Australian bowling unit kept the pressure on from the outset, with Kim Garth and Lucy particularly effective during the powerplay, neutralising the threat posed by openers Hayley Matthews and Qiana Joseph.

In the chase, Beth Mooney anchored the innings with an unbeaten 61, combining with Ashleigh Gardner — who finished on 35 not out — for an unbroken 84-run third-wicket partnership that sealed the win with 42 balls to spare.

Molineux on Momentum and Mindset

Reflecting on Australia's unbeaten run through the tournament, Molineux attributed the team's success to staying present rather than looking too far ahead. 'You just have to ride it in the T20 World Cups. It's full of momentum and swings. I have really enjoyed it. The group has really enjoyed it. That's probably the biggest thing for us. We have helped and stopped ourselves from thinking too far ahead, and now we can think about the final, which is pretty cool,' she said.

On the decision to persist with seamers during the powerplay, Molineux said: 'Kimmy shapes the ball beautifully both ways and bowls beautifully in the Power-play. Lucy did a really good job as well. I just thought it was the best matchup between those two. I thought we bowled really well. Hayley and Joseph tried to go hard at us, but we managed to hold our nerve, which was pretty cool.'

Ellyse Perry Fitness Update

A brief concern arose when veteran all-rounder Ellyse Perry walked off during the chase with what Molineux described as 'quad awareness'. However, the Australian captain moved quickly to allay fears over Perry's availability for the final. 'Yeah, bit of that again — it was just quad awareness. Sounds like she will be more than okay to go on Sunday,' Molineux said.

Eyes on Sunday's Final

With five days before the title clash, Molineux indicated the squad would first savour the achievement before turning their attention to the championship match. 'Sleep (laughs). I am looking forward to a good night of sleep tonight. We will make sure that we celebrate what's been a pretty cool two weeks for the girls. We will rest and recover for a little bit and then build up without thinking too much,' she said.

Australia's path to an eighth final — and a potential seventh title — cements their status as the benchmark in women's cricket. All eyes now turn to Sunday's decider as the six-time champions bid to extend their unmatched record in the tournament.