They are set to take on India in Monday's (August 8) final after the Men in the Blue beat South Africa 3-2.

Australia triumphed by the same scoreline against England, but were given an almighty scare against a side seeking to reach the final for the first time at the Commonwealth Games.

England have won bronze at the last two editions of the Games, and struck first through Phillip Roper in the first quarter.

Early in the second quarter, Nicholas Bandurak's goalbound penalty corner hit an Australian defender on the line, and captain Zachary Wallace converted the resulting penalty stroke to put his team 2-0 in front.

However, cards and suspensions began to hit England, and Australia were back in the match before half-time courtesy of a powerful strike from a penalty corner by Blake Govers.

Australia began to assert their authority on the match in the third quarter, and got their rewards on a swift break which led to Jacob Anderson firing across Oliver Payne and into the corner of the net.

Moments earlier, Australia successfully overturned a penalty corner awarded to England by video review, which found that the ball had hit a defender's stick rather than body in the circle.

There were chances at both ends at the start of the fourth quarter, before Beale struck the decisive blow with 10 minutes remaining.

Anderson did all the spade work as he cut inside from the left and had his effort blocked before Beale pounced from close range, but England hotly disputed the manner in which he restarted having been awarded a free hit, insisting that the ball had not been stationary.

Boos from the home crowd greeted the video umpire's rejection of a referral.

There was also controversy featuring Australia in last night's women's semi-final, with the International Hockey Federation forced to apologise after Rosie Malone was allowed to re-take their first penalty in the shoot-out win against India because the countdown clock had misfired.

England piled on the pressure in the closing stages, winning a series of penalty corners, but Australia defended superbly to reach the final and keep alive their hopes of continuing their perfect men's hockey record at the Games since its debut at Kuala Lumpur 1998.

The hosts have taken bronze at the last two Commonwealth Games, and will face South Africa for bronze on Monday.

South Africa were beaten by India in the first semi-final, despite a brave second-half display.

Inspired goalkeeping from Gowan Jones kept India out in the first quarter, but Abhishek opened the scoring with a neat turn and finish from just inside the circle five minutes into the second.

Direct play from India doubled their lead approaching half-time, with Mandeep Singh producing a clinical finish.

However, South Africa pulled one back early in the third quarter through Ryan Julius on the rebound after Matthew Guise-Brown's effort from a penalty corner was saved.

With South Africa sacrificing their goalkeeper late in the fourth, Guise-Brown was forced into a desperate challenge to prevent Singh from finding an empty net.

He was yellow carded, and from the resulting penalty corner Singh fired through a crowd of players to send India on their way to the final.

There was still time for Mustapha Cassiem to make it 3-2, but not enough for South Africa to grab a third, and their first appearance in a men's hockey semi-final since Manchester 2002 ended in defeat.

Women's hockey medal matches are scheduled for tomorrow, with Australia playing England for gold and New Zealand taking on India for bronze.