Aussies through to semis after destroying Windies

David Warner and Mitch Marsh fired Australia to another thumping victory but had a nervous wait before their T20 World Cup semi-final berth was confirmed hours later despite South Africa's narrow win over England.

Warner (89no from 56 balls) blazed his highest T20 score in more than two years and was ably supported by Marsh (53 off 32) as they sealed a comfortable victory with 22 balls to spare in a match that descended into a farewell party for retiring veterans Dwayne Bravo and Chris Gayle.

Josh Hazlewood (4-39 from four overs) and Adam Zampa (1-20) had led a disciplined bowling performance with only a late surge from Kieron Pollard (44 off 31) and Andre Russell (18no off seven) lifting them to a competitive score of 7-157 in Abu Dhabi.

While the victory kept Australia in second spot in Group 1 and increased their net run-rate advantage over third-placed South Africa, the Proteas gave themselves a chance of knocking the Aussies out later in the evening after being sent in by England in Sharjah and mustering an impressive 2-189.

South Africa needed to keep England, atop the standings, to 131 or fewer to move above Australia into second.

But England ticked past that mark in the 16th over of their chase, knocking Temba Bavuma's men out of the tournament, despite losing by 10 runs, to confirm Australia would finish second in the group.

The Aussies will face Pakistan, unless Scotland pull off a major upset and defeat the Group 2 leaders in Sharjah on Monday morning (AEDT), and that is expected to be in the second semi-final in Dubai on Friday morning AEDT (Thursday evening local).

"All in all, I think we are hitting the momentum in the right stage of this tournament," said Warner.

There had been emotional scenes earlier at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium as Bravo (who publicly confirmed his retirement from international cricket before the match) and Gayle (who didn't, but carried himself like a man bowing out anyway) were given a guard of honour by the Australians.

Image Id: F0A9427A94EF458784D6CBB5C352A387 Image Caption: Bravo bowed out of international cricket with a guard of honour // Getty

Warner and Marsh were sublime in Australia's run chase, confirming the Windies' steep decline from reigning champions to now sliding out of the automatic qualifier spots for the Super 12 stage of next year's 2022 T20 World Cup after finishing fifth in Group 1 with only one win for the tournament.

The Windies will enter next year's tournament in Australia at the first stage alongside Sri Lanka, Namibia and Scotland from this year's Super 12 stage, plus others that will come through regional qualifying rounds.  

Warner, fresh off a rough recent Indian Premier League campaign, has faced much scrutiny over recent performances but this knock showed the dynamic opener at his best as he recorded his highest score at a T20 World Cup.

The left-hander shouldered the load in the Powerplay as he struck 40 of his side's first 53 runs, with the Windies' ploy to target the Aussies with spin with the new ball yielding the wicket of Aaron Finch (for nine) but little else.

Bravo could only laugh as Warner at one point switched to batting right-handed, waited patiently for a slower ball to arrive before dispatching it to the boundary.

Marsh's considerable improvement against spin was on full display, reverse-sweeping Hayden Walsh Jr, Australia's bogey man in their series earlier this year, early in the leg-spinner's spell before smearing Akeal Hosein for a fleet-footed inside-out six over long-off.

Thrown the ball one last time when the game was effectively over, Gayle dismissed Marsh before running over to him as he walked off the ground to wrap the allrounder up in a bear hug.

Image Id: 916285222F7C46C9A7CF121282D3CAF9 Image Caption: Gayle was all smiles in what was likely his final match for the Windies // Getty

Warner struck the winning runs to seal the eight-wicket win.

Hazlewood earlier sliced through the West Indies' top order with four wickets, bouncing back from being hit for 20 off his first over by dismissing Nicholas Pooran and Roston Chase in his second, the latter with a peach that nipped back to hit off-stump.

The tournament's leading wicket-taker Zampa was again superb as was Mitchell Starc (1-33) until he coughed up two sixes from the final two balls of the innings.

Gayle, who later cracked jokes with Marsh and Warner while they batted as the result became a formality midway through the run chase, chopped on to Cummins for 15 (off nine) after crunching two sixes.

Bravo (10 off 12) hit a six of his own as the duo with decorated T20 records – Gayle is the leading all-time run scorer and Bravo the leading wicket-taker in the format – saluted fans and embraced teammates after their dismissals.

Evin Lewis (29 off 26) and Shimron Hetmyer (27 off 28) both struggled to get going and the Windies looked to be staggering towards a mediocre score when the latter gloved one behind off Hazlewood to leave them 5-91.

Pollard struck four boundaries and a six to keep his strike-rate above 140 in a rear-guard revival, before Andre Russell tonked Starc for consecutive sixes, including a monster 111-metre blow over square-leg to finish the innings.

2021 Men's T20 World Cup

Australia's squad

Aaron Finch (c), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins (vc), Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa. Travelling reserves: Dan Christian, Nathan Ellis, Daniel Sams

Oct 23: Australia beat South Africa by five wickets

Oct 28: Australia beat Sri Lanka by seven wickets

Oct 30: England beat Australia by eight wickets

Nov 4: Australia beat Bangladesh by eight wickets

Nov 6: Australia beat West Indies by eight wickets

Semi-finals

Nov 10: TBC v TBC, Abu Dhabi (6pm local, 1am Nov 11 AEDT)

Nov 11: TBC v TBC, Dubai (6pm local, 1am Nov 12 AEDT)

Final

Nov 14: TBC v TBC, Dubai (6pm local, 1am Nov 15 AEDT)

All matches live and exclusive on Fox Cricket, available on Kayo Sports.

Click here for the full 2021 ICC T20 World Cup schedule

Click here for the full squads for all 16 teams

Super 12 stage

Group 1: England, Australia, South Africa, West Indies, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh

Group 2: India, Pakistan, New Zealand, Afghanistan, Scotland, Namibia