Charlotte Edwards made a slice of history with an unbeaten half-century to steer England to a comfortable victory against India in their second group game in Galle, but took far greater satisfaction from the guarantee of a place in the World Twenty20 semi finals.

Edwards became the first woman to score 1,500 runs in international T20 matches as England cruised past an India total of 116 for six with nine wickets and almost three overs to spare. It means they will definitely head north for the semis in Colombo next week whatever the result of their last group game against Australia on Monday, ensuring they will go at least one step further than in the last World T20 in the Caribbean two years ago when they crashed out at the group stage.

That was a bitter disappointment to the England team and especially their long-serving captain from Cambridgeshire. Now they are on course to meet Australia in next Sunday's final, which will be played at the R Premadasa Stadium before the men's final, as the favourites will be kept apart in the semi‑finals.

Australia had already booked their place in the last four by beating Pakistan in Saturday's first match on Duckworth-Lewis after it had been ended by heavy rain that also threatened to disrupt England. But the second game started on time and whereas England's spinners had done the damage in their opening win against Pakistan, it was the pace of Katherine Brunt and Anya Shrubsole that caused India problems.

Brunt took an early wicket and ended with one for 16 from her four overs, and Shrubsole conceded 15 from three, in addition to taking two catches – one of them diving forwards from the boundary, although neither was as spectacular as the stunner she took at Old Trafford against West Indies this month.

Laura Marsh took two wickets with her off-spin for the second consecutive match as India failed to build on the platform laid by Poonam Raut. She shared a second-wicket stand of 75 with her captain, Mithali Raj, before Jenny Gunn ran out Raj then took a boundary catch to dismiss Raut for 51 from 57 balls as India lost momentum.

The reliable opening partnership of Marsh and Edwards gave England the perfect start for the second consecutive game, Marsh hitting 39 from 35 balls in their stand of 78, including her third six of the tournament.

Sarah Taylor, who is second to Edwards on the T20 run-scoring list, then dominated an unbroken stand of 30 with her captain, hitting 25 from 15 balls with four fours. "I'm delighted with the win today and to be through to the semi-finals," Edwards said. "We bowled and fielded well to restrict a good Indian side, we batted really well on a great pitch and Laura and I were really pleased to make a positive start to the chase."

By the time England face Australia on Monday they will know their semi-final opposition in Colombo on Thursday or Friday – with those games also being played at the Premadasa. The other qualifying group has been thrown open by Thursday's shock win for Sri Lanka over West Indies in a rain-affected game.

West Indies had already beaten New Zealand – beaten finalists in the previous two tournaments – thanks to a half-century from Deandra Dottin, meaning they will still secure a semi-final place if they can win their last group game against South Africa on Monday.