Women's T20 World Cup: South Africa dismantle Australia with eight-wicket victory to claim place in final in huge shock
Published 17/10/2024 at 18:38 GMT+1
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South Africa claimed an eight-wicket victory over defending champions Australia in Dubai to earn a place in Sunday's Women’s T20 World Cup final, reaching their 135 target with 16 balls to spare. They will come up against either West Indies or New Zealand, who play their semi-final on Friday. It was South Africa's first World Cup victory over Australia.
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South Africa earned a place in Sunday's Women’s T20 World Cup final after a sublime eight-wicket victory over Australia in Dubai.
Defending champions Australia set their opponents a target of 135, which South Africa eased to in style, thanks to a 96-run partnership between Laura Wolvaardt and Anneke Bosch.
In turn, South Africa claimed a first World Cup victory over Australia.
The second semi-final will see West Indies take on New Zealand on Friday.
Australia, who were without captain Alyssa Healy due to a leg injury, were put into bat by their opponents but struggled for fluency.
Grace Harris (3) and Georgia Wareham (5) failed to establish any momentum as Australia fell to 18-2 from just three overs.
Beth Mooney (44) and Tahlia McGrath (27) went on to settle their side’s early nerves with a partnership that surpassed a half-century, before the latter ballooned a slow, back-of-a-length ball from Nonkululeko Mlaba to cover to see Australia fall to 68-3.
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Bosch sealed South Africa’s win, sending Schutt to the boundary to finish unbeaten on 74
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Mooney was ultimately run out for 44 from 42 balls with Australia at 99-4 in the 16th over, before Ellyse Perry (31) and Phoebe Litchfield (16 not out) combined to heave their side to a total of 134-5.
Australia would have harboured some hope of thwarting South Africa after Annabel Sutherland’s back-of-length delivery jagged into Tazmin Brits’ (15) off-stump and broke up an opening partnership at 25-1 in the fifth over.
What followed, however, was a dominant 96-run stand between Wolvaardt and Bosch, before the former was caught by McGrath with South Africa at 121-2 and needing just 14 runs from 30 deliveries.
Fittingly, Bosch sealed South Africa’s win, sending a delivery from Megan Schutt to the boundary to finish unbeaten on 74 and complete an eight-wicket victory with 16 balls to spare.
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