Women's World Cup 2023 - England and Australia set up Ashes clash for place in the final

England and Australia will go head-to-head once again this summer, as they both booked their spots in the semi-finals of the Women’s World Cup on Saturday.

The two nations have battled for both the men’s and women’s Ashes, as well as the Netball World Cup this summer, but this time the prize is a first-ever World Cup final for either side.

The Matildas were the first to seal the place in the last four, edging past France in a nerve-shredding mammoth penalty shoot-out, that required a record 20 spot kicks to split the sides after an edgy 0-0 draw over 120 minutes.

The Lionesses then followed them in slightly simpler fashion, coming from behind to beat Colombia 2-1 thanks to strikes from Lauren Hemp and Alessia Russo after Leicy Santos had given Las Cafeteras a shock lead.

Tillies hold their nerve

Co-hosts Australia kept their World Cup dream alive with a tense penalty shoot-out victory over France in Brisbane.

It was third time lucky for the Matildas, who twice missed what would have been the decisive penalty before Cortnee Vine scored after Vicky Becho struck the post.

It was the end of a chaotic shoot-out, that saw France boss Hervé Renard substitute first-choice stopper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin for spot kick specialist Solène Durand.

It looked to be a stroke of genius as the Guingamp keeper saved from Arsenal’s Steph Catley but fellow substitute, Chelsea full-back Eve Périsset, missed her kick to give Australia the advantage.

But West Ham United goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold passed up the opportunity to make history as she blazed her effort onto the post before Clare Hunt also missed her chance to end the game after Aston Villa’s Kenza Dali was twice denied by Arnold.

Vine finally brought the marathon shoot-out to an