Southern Stars soar into World T20 semis

The Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars have finished the World T20 group stage in emphatic fashion, cruising to a seven-wicket win over Ireland in Delhi.

Chasing 92 for victory and with net run rate on their minds, Elyse Villani (35) and Ellyse Perry (28) helped Australia reach their target with 40 balls to spare.

A few anxious hours then followed for Australia as they waited on the result of New Zealand's clash with South Africa, before the White Ferns' seven-wicket win sealed the Southern Stars' place in the semi-finals, meaning net run rate will now not come into play for the semi-finals calculations.

But with their minds on a quick run chase on Saturday afternoon, Villani and Alyssa Healy were punishing early, striking 12 runs off the first over.

Unfortunately for Healy, she was again unable to turn a promising start into a meaningful knock, falling for nine courtesy of a brilliant one-handed catch from Ireland captain Isobel Joyce.

Meg Lanning also looked to attack, but her stay at the crease was a brief one, her middle stump torn out of the ground by Kim Garth, sending the skipper back to the sheds for eight.

But Perry and Villani put the result beyond doubt, adding 54 runs for the third wicket.

While Villani fell for an impressive 35-ball 43 with Australia seven runs from the, it was the only hiccup for Australia as they marked to an emphatic win.

Earlier, the Southern Stars brilliantly pegged back Ireland after an aggressive start from openers Clare Shillington and Cecelia Joyce, restricting their Emerald Isle rivals to 7-91.

Left-arm 17-year-old quick Lauren Cheatle, called into Australia's XI for the match in place of off-spinner Erin Osborne, took the new ball and opened with a maiden.

But after a watchful start, the Ireland openers took up the attack to the Southern Stars from the third over, slamming 32 runs from the next 18 balls, including a huge six from Clare Shillington, racing to 0-33 in the fifth over.

However Shillington's dismissal, which came after she went after Megan Schutt once too often, brought Ireland's rocketing run rate to an abrupt halt.

Just 29 runs came from the next 10 overs as Kristen Beams, Jess Jonassen and Rene Farrell put on the squeeze.

Cecelia Joyce and Kim Garth put together a 20-run second-wicket partnership, but once the former departed courtesy of a good catch from Beams the wickets tumbled at regular intervals for Ireland, who finished on 7-91.

Farrell (2-11), Beams (0-14) and Jonassen (0-14) were all brilliant in their four-over spells, while Schutt struck back to finish with 3-29 after an expensive start.

The Southern Stars made one change to their XI from the side which claimed a nine-wicket win over Sri Lanka on Thursday, with Osborne forced out due to an ongoing split webbing complaint.

Osborne suffered the injury during the warm-up before Australia's opening clash against South Africa, but managed to play the three games since and is expected to be fit for the semi-finals.