Australia Champions secured their place in the semi-finals of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) after defeating England Champions by 16 runs in a high-scoring encounter at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

After winning the toss and opting to bat first, Australia posted an imposing 218 for six in their allotted 20 overs. Their total was built around explosive half-centuries from top-order batters D’Arcy Short and Jonathan Wells.

Short produced a blistering 60 from just 25 balls, while Wells remained unbeaten on 58 from 32 deliveries. Their aggressive contributions gave Australia the platform to post a huge total.

England began their chase under pressure but captain Moeen Ali produced a sensational counterattack. Batting at number three, Moeen smashed 94 from only 44 balls, including 10 sixes and four fours, keeping England in contention deep into the innings.

Phil Mustard contributed 35 runs, while Ravi Bopara added 28, but England could manage only 202 for four in their 20 overs as the rest of the batting line-up failed to maintain the required scoring rate.

Ben Hilfenhaus was among Australia’s key bowlers, taking two important wickets while conceding 27 runs. Despite Moeen’s outstanding innings, England fell 16 runs short of the target.

The victory secured Australia Champions’ place in the final four, while England were eliminated from the semi-final race.