South Africa triumph over dominant Australia to reach finals

DUBAI: South Africa beat Australia by eight wickets in the first semi-finals of the Women’s T20 World Cup on Thursday, shocking the world and confirming their place in the finals.

SOUTH AFRICA’S BOWLING

Before the batting combo of Anneke Bosch and South Africa skipper Laura Wolvaardt put Australia on the canvas, it was the Proteas bowling attack that set the tone of the night.

Ayabonga Khaka would pick up her first wicket on her first delivery, baiting Grace Harris into slashing the ball hard towarards backward point, allowing Bosch to take the catch. Harris would be dismissed for only three runs off five balls, and teammate Georgia Wareham would join her soon after. This time it was a delivery from Marizanne Kapp that caught the slightest of edges on Wareham’s bat, making wicketkeeper Sinalo Jafta’s loud appeals worthwhile.

Another wicket for Australia fell in the 13^th over, as Tahli Mcgrath mistimed a hit towards cover point on a delivery from Nonkilileko Mlaba, and Annerie Dercksen capitalised by taking the catch. Then to make things worse for the Aussie’s Beth Mooney, who was nearing a half century after scoring 44 runs off 42 balls, was run out on a delivery by Kapp that Mooney hit right back to the bowler. Kapp quickly threw the ball to the strikers end to take out the stumps while Mooney was just short of the crease.

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Australia would then galvanise and make a respectable score after a flurry of boundaries, courtesy of Phoebe Lichtfield and Ellyse Perry. Khaka would get her second and the final wicket of the game on the final delivery of Australia’s innings, as Tazmin Britts held on to the ball smashed to deep midwicket by Perry, who was hoping to put on a few more runs on the board.  

SOUTH AFRICA’S BATTING

The Proteas would begin their assault immediately behind a four and a six from Brits. Fortunately for Australia, they would quell her offense almost as soon as it began, on a delivery from Sutherland, which beat Brits, nocking the peg off of off stump.

In came Bosch, and together with Wolvaardt, they put on a fantastic, domineering performance. The two made it rain boundaries in al directions. Towards mid-off. Towards long-on. Towards deep square leg. And not to forget over deep midwicket.

Wolvaardt would eventually be dismissed in the 14^th over, giving Australia the breakthrough they needed, but much too late as South Africa had already made 121 runs, only requiring another 14 off 30 balls. The South African skipper was sent off just short of a half century, making 42 runs off 37 balls, including three fours and one six. It was a delivery by Sutherland that did her in. Wolvaardt tried to go over mid-off but landed into the hands of McGrath instead.

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Bosch would confirm South Africa’s place in the finals soon after, hitting another couple boundaries, bringing her total to an incredible 74 runs off 48 balls, the highest in the tournament so far.

South Africa will face either New Zealand or West Indies, on October 24.