West Indies Champions stormed into the World Championship of Legends 2026 final with a five-wicket win over Australia Champions in a high-scoring semi-final at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday night. Chasing 173 for victory, the Windies reached 173 for 5 in 19 overs — with six balls to spare — powered by a sensational unbeaten 87 off 42 balls from wicketkeeper Chadwick Walton. They will now face England Champions in the title clash on Sunday, 18 October.
Australia’s innings: Burns rebuilds after Cottrell carnage
Australia Champions won the toss and chose to bat, but the decision backfired spectacularly in the opening over. Left-arm seamer Sheldon Cottrell removed D’Arcy Short and captain David Warner for ducks in the space of six balls, leaving Australia reeling at 1 for 2.
Cottrell kept the pressure on, dismissing Ben Dunk and then Callum Ferguson, and by the end of the powerplay Australia had slumped to 38 for 4. A big total looked a long way off.
Joe Burns had other ideas. The opener held the innings together with a superb 86 off 52 balls, striking eight fours and two sixes, and found a willing partner in Jonathan Wells, who made 49 off 33. The pair added 110 runs off 62 balls for the fifth wicket to drag Australia back into the contest.
Cottrell returned to break the stand, bowling Burns at 164 for 7 in the 19th over to finish with outstanding figures of 4 for 20 from his four overs. Carlos Brathwaite chipped in with 2 for 29 as Australia closed on 172 for 7 from their 20 overs.
West Indies chase: Walton’s six-hitting masterclass
The chase began cautiously. Lendl Simmons made 22 off 18 and Jermaine Blackwood laboured to 11 off 19, and when both openers fell — Simmons caught off Nathan Coulter-Nile and Blackwood off Fawad Ahmed — the Windies were 45 for 2 after 6.4 overs.
Walton then took charge. He dominated a 96-run stand off 57 balls for the third wicket with Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who contributed a fluent 41 off 27 with three fours and three sixes.
Australia sniffed a comeback when Kane Richardson struck twice in two balls in the 17th over, removing Chanderpaul and Brathwaite for a duck, before Coulter-Nile dismissed Raymon Reifer for a duck as well. In the blink of an eye, West Indies had collapsed from 141 for 2 to 142 for 5.
But Walton stood firm at the other end. His unbeaten 87 contained just two fours and a staggering ten sixes — a strike rate of 207.14. Alongside captain Dwayne Bravo, who finished 7 not out off 4 balls, Walton added 31 runs off the last 11 balls to seal the win with an over to spare.
Key performances
Chadwick Walton was the undisputed star, carrying his bat through the chase with 87 not out off 42 balls. Sheldon Cottrell’s new-ball burst of 4 for 20 — including the wickets of Short and Warner in the first over — gave West Indies the early control they needed.
For Australia, Joe Burns’ 86 off 52 was a lone hand of real quality, while Jonathan Wells’ 49 off 33 kept them in the game. With the ball, Kane Richardson (2 for 41) and Nathan Coulter-Nile (2 for 19) briefly threatened to turn the chase around during that dramatic middle-over collapse.
What it means
West Indies Champions are through to the WCL 2026 final on Sunday, 18 October at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, where they will meet England Champions — 7:30 PM local time (9:00 PM IST). It is sweet revenge for the Windies, who were bowled out for just 83 and beaten by 36 runs by the same opponents in the league stage five days earlier.
Neither West Indies nor England has ever lifted the World Championship of Legends trophy — India won the inaugural edition in 2024 and South Africa in 2025 — so Sunday’s final is guaranteed to crown a brand-new champion.
FAQs
Who won the WCL 2026 semi-final 2?
West Indies Champions beat Australia Champions by 5 wickets at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on 16 October 2026.
What were the final scores in Australia Champions vs West Indies Champions semi-final 2?
Australia Champions posted 172 for 7 in 20 overs, and West Indies Champions chased it down, finishing 173 for 5 in 19 overs.
Who was the top scorer in the semi-final?
Chadwick Walton top-scored with an unbeaten 87 off 42 balls, hitting two fours and ten sixes.
Who took the most wickets in the match?
Sheldon Cottrell took 4 for 20 in 4 overs for West Indies Champions, including two wickets in the first over of the match.
Who won the toss in the WCL semi-final 2?
Australia Champions won the toss and elected to bat first.
When and where is the WCL 2026 final?
The final will be played on Sunday, 18 October 2026 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium between West Indies Champions and England Champions, starting at 7:30 PM local time (9:00 PM IST).
What happened when these teams met in the league stage?
Australia Champions beat West Indies Champions by 36 runs on 11 October, bowling them out for just 83.
Conclusion
Friday night in Sharjah belonged to Chadwick Walton and the West Indies Champions. After being humbled by Australia in the league stage, they timed their revenge perfectly when it mattered most — a five-wicket semi-final win built on Cottrell’s early strikes and Walton’s breathtaking six-hitting. England Champions await in Sunday’s final, and with a first-ever WCL title on the line for both sides, the stage is set for a memorable decider.
Full Scorecard
Scorecard verified via the official Cricbuzz scorecard.
Australia Champions — 172/7 (20 overs)
| Batter | Dismissal | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D’Arcy Short | c Blackwood b Cottrell | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| David Warner (c) | b Cottrell | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Joe Burns | c Walton b Cottrell | 86 | 52 | 8 | 2 | 165.38 |
| Ben Dunk (wk) | lbw b Cottrell | 12 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 171.43 |
| Callum Ferguson | c C Brathwaite b S Benn | 10 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Jonathan Wells | c L Simmons b C Brathwaite | 49 | 33 | 6 | 1 | 148.48 |
| Nathan Coulter-Nile | b C Brathwaite | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Kane Richardson | not out | 5 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 55.56 |
| Ben Hilfenhaus | not out | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
Extras: 7 (b 2, lb 0, w 4, nb 1) | Total: 172-7 (20 overs, RR 8.60)
Yet to bat: Michael Beer, Fawad Ahmed
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheldon Cottrell | 4 | 0 | 20 | 4 | 5.00 |
| Raymon Reifer | 4 | 0 | 37 | 0 | 9.20 |
| Nikita Miller | 4 | 0 | 39 | 0 | 9.75 |
| Sulieman Benn | 3 | 0 | 26 | 1 | 8.67 |
| Dave Mohammed | 1 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 19.00 |
| Carlos Brathwaite | 4 | 0 | 29 | 2 | 7.20 |
Fall of wickets: 0-1 (D’Arcy Short, 0.2 ov), 1-2 (David Warner, 0.6 ov), 17-3 (Ben Dunk, 2.5 ov), 38-4 (Callum Ferguson, 5.6 ov), 148-5 (Jonathan Wells, 16.2 ov), 149-6 (Nathan Coulter-Nile, 16.4 ov), 164-7 (Joe Burns, 18.4 ov)
West Indies Champions — 173/5 (19 overs)
| Batter | Dismissal | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jermaine Blackwood | c Kane Richardson b Fawad Ahmed | 11 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 57.89 |
| Lendl Simmons | c Kane Richardson b Coulter-Nile | 22 | 18 | 4 | 0 | 122.22 |
| Chadwick Walton (wk) | not out | 87 | 42 | 2 | 10 | 207.14 |
| Shivnarine Chanderpaul | c Coulter-Nile b Kane Richardson | 41 | 27 | 3 | 3 | 151.85 |
| Carlos Brathwaite | lbw b Kane Richardson | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Raymon Reifer | c David Warner b Coulter-Nile | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Dwayne Bravo (c) | not out | 7 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 175.00 |
Extras: 5 (b 0, lb 3, w 2, nb 0) | Total: 173-5 (19 overs, RR 9.11)
Yet to bat: Dave Mohammed, Sheldon Cottrell, Sulieman Benn, Nikita Miller
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Hilfenhaus | 3 | 0 | 29 | 0 | 9.67 |
| Kane Richardson | 4 | 1 | 41 | 2 | 10.20 |
| Michael Beer | 3 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 7.33 |
| Nathan Coulter-Nile | 3 | 0 | 19 | 2 | 6.33 |
| Fawad Ahmed | 4 | 0 | 38 | 1 | 9.50 |
| D’Arcy Short | 2 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 10.50 |
Fall of wickets: 33-1 (Lendl Simmons, 5.4 ov), 45-2 (Jermaine Blackwood, 6.6 ov), 141-3 (Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 16.3 ov), 141-4 (Carlos Brathwaite, 16.4 ov), 142-5 (Raymon Reifer, 17.1 ov)
Toss: Australia Champions won the toss and chose to bat. Result: West Indies Champions won by 5 wickets.
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