Healy leads clinical Australia past West Indies in style

SCOREBOARD |TALKING POINTS

Healy (129 from 107 balls) and Haynes (85 from 100) put on 216 runs for the opening wicket to help Australia amass 305/3 from a rain-reduced 45 overs, before a dominant performance with the ball saw West Indies manage just 148 in reply.

While Healy and Haynes were the stars of the show, they received plenty of support from their teammates as a disciplined performance in the field and clinical effort with the ball ensured Australia’s spot in Sunday's final.

Experienced spinner Jess Jonassen (2/14) bowled well to claim two wickets and five others picked up one scalp each, while Beth Mooney pulled down another contender for catch of the tournament to go with her unbeaten 43 with the bat.

Skipper Stafanie Taylor (48) played a lone hand in the run chase for West Indies and Deandra Dottin and Hayley Matthews both managed 34 runs at the top of the order, but they received little support with two batters unable to take the crease as Australia cruised home.

Earlier, Earlier, Healy and Haynes looked imperious, scoring at an excellent clip as Australia amassed a huge score after being sent into bat first.

It was a scintillating partnership from Healy and Haynes, as the duo dined out on some poor West Indies' bowling and some even sloppier fielding to put on the third highest opening stand in Australia’s WODI history.

Healy actually took some time to get used to the overcast conditions at the ground, with Haynes looking more assured early as Australia put on just 37 from their opening nine-over Powerplay period.

But it didn't take long for Healy to find her groove as she overtook Haynes and then went from 50 to 100 in just 28 deliveries to bring up the fourth ODI century of her career.

Healy found the boundary 17 times during her innings and even managed to clear the rope with a massive hit over mid-on from a rank Karishma Ramharack full toss that pushed her score into the 90s.

Haynes was more circumspect during her stay and was given a pair of lives off the bowling of the unlucky Ramharack, with the usually reliable Matthews' culpable for dropping an easy chance at mid-on when Australia's score was 141.

Shamilia Connell (1/45) finally made the breakthrough when she had Healy caught in the deep in the 33rd over, as the attention turned to Haynes to see if she could reach her own three figure milestone.

Chinelle Henry (2/51) made sure she didn't and the West Indies seamer also picked up Ash Gardner - promoted up the order to number three - in the same over to help reduce Australia to 236/3.

But Mooney and Meg Lanning (26*) combined to boost the score past 300 and leave West Indies with a mountain that was too difficult to climb as Australia moved through to the title decider with ease.

Australia XI: Alyssa Healy, Rachael Haynes, Meg Lanning (c), Beth Mooney, Tahlia McGrath, Ashleigh Gardner, Annabel Sutherland, Alana King, Jess Jonassen, Megan Schutt, Darcie Brown

**West Indies XI:**Deandra Dottin, Rashada Williams, Hayley Matthews, Stafanie Taylor (c), Shemaine Campbelle, Chedean Nation, Anisa Mohammed, Kycia Knight, Chinelle Henry, Karishma Ramharack, Shamilia Connell