Aussies in final as Hunter goes for the kill

Julie Hunter would hope her male counterparts do equally well in the evening.

COLOMBO: Medium-pacer Julie Hunter snared five as defending champions Australia defeated the West Indies by 28 runs to enter their second successive ICC Women's World Twenty20 final, on Friday. Australia will meet England, the 2009 winners, in the title clash on Sunday.
Australia elected to bat and posted 115-7 through a series of middle-order cameos, and bundled out the Caribbeans for 87 in 19.2 overs in their pursuit. Hunter came on in the fifth over and trapped Mellissa Aguilleira in front, before returning to claim two more, including the well-set opener Juliana Nero (31), in her second over, the 18th of the chase. Hunter returned for the last over of the innings and added two more victims to complete her five-for, the match ending when Tremayne Smarttstruck her to long-leg.

Medium pacer Ellyse Perry also bowled well for Australia, her figures of two for 19 including the breakthrough scalp of opener Stefanie Taylor. Off-spinner Lisa Sthalekar was economical, completing her four overs for just six runs as the asking rate mounted. 

The West Indies plummeted to 28-4 in the seventh over as Perry removed Deandra Dottin and ran out non-striker Shemaine Campbell off a deflection. Nero collaborated with Shanel Daley (25) to take the score to 76, before Daley was out to a good low catch by Alex Blackwell at mid-wicket to off-spinner Erin Osborne.

Nero's wicket in the 18th over the chase signalled the end for the West Indies as Hunter mopped up the tail. Earlier, Australia recovered from the second-ball dismissal of opener Alyssa Healy - bowled by Daley - to post 115. Sthalekar (23) and Alex Blackwell (21) were the principal scorers amid a splatter of cameos, as the Aussies rebuild after being three down for 36 in the eighth over.