JOIN USChasing a stiff target of 164 to win, the hosts rode on Taylor’s 53-ball unbeaten knock and her match-winning 122-run partnership with Beth Morgan (46) to romp home with three balls to spare.
It was a remarkable come-from-behind victory for England who looked down the barrel at one stage but Taylor and Morgan unleashed a flurry of strokes in the later half of the innings to leave the Aussies in a daze.
England will now take on New Zealand in the final at the historic Lord’s on Sunday.
Earlier put into bat, Australia rode on some useful contribution from Leah Poulton (39 off 31), Shelley Nitschke (37 off 25) and Karen Rolton (38 off 32) to post a competitive 163 for five in stipulated 20 overs.
England suffered a jolt losing both their openers Sarah Taylor (6) and Charlotte Edwards (25) before reaching 50 for two in the ninth over.
Taylor and Morgan, however, steadied the ship and staged a brilliant recovery and brought up the hundred in the 14th over.
Taylor’s innings was a mixture of control and aggression as the right-handed Englishwoman picked up ones and twos initially before exploding in the slog overs.
Earlier, England’s decision to bowl first backfired as Australia pilled up 49 runs in the first six overs. Openers Poulton and Nitschke made the best use of the fielding restriction and sent the bowlers on a leather hunt right from the start.
Poulton started the proceedings for Australia, whacking Brunt in her first over for a four and followed it up with another hat-trick of boundaries in her next over.
Nitschke, who was dropped by Atkins at three, also followed in the footstep of her partner and picked up a boundary off Nicki Shaw in the fifth over and followed it up with a couple more in the next over.
England’s bowling looked pedestrian as they struggled to stop the rampaging Aussies openers, before Holy Colvin got rid off Nitschke to draw the first blood.
Laura Marsh too joined the party and rocked the timbers of a dangerous looking Poulton in the first ball of the next over to reduce Australia to 78 for two in 9.1 overs.
Left-handed batswoman Karen Rolton, however, continued the rampage and brought up the hundred with a four in the 14th over.
Rolton also stitched a 46-ball 50-run stand with Lisa Sthalekar (28 off 21).