Claire Taylor produced an unbeaten 76 as England recovered from a sluggish start to snatch an eight-wicket victory over Australia and storm into the final of the women’s World Twenty20 on Friday.

Chasing 164, the hosts rode on Taylor’s 53-ball knock and her match-winning 122-run partnership with Beth Morgan (46) to romp home with three balls to spare. It was a remarkable victory for England with Taylor and Morgan unleashing a flurry of strokes in the later half of the innings to leave the Aussies in a daze. England will take on New Zealand in the final on Sunday.

England lost openers Sarah Taylor (6) and Charlotte Edwards (25) early but Taylor and Morgan steadied the innings. Taylor’s innings was a mixture of control and aggression as she picked up ones and twos initially before exploding in the last overs.

Earlier put in to bat, Australia rode on contributions from Leah Poulton (39 off 31), Shelley Nitschke (37 off 25) and Karen Rolton (38 off 32) to post a competitive 163 for five.

Poulton and Nitschke, who was dropped on three, sent the England bowlers on a leather hunt, whacking boundries all around before being dismissed. Left-handed Rolton continued the rampage to stitch a 46-ball 50 stand with Lisa Sthalekar (28 off 21).