Australia stunned by South Africa: Women’s T20 World Cup semi-final – as it happened
A few days back I had a bit of a moan that this had been a slightly underwhelming tournament, with a lack of surprises and/or close finishes.Well we still could do with a close finish but we’ve had a couple of big shocks, courtesy of turbo-charged displays from West Indies on Tuesday and now South Africa tonight.The serial champions and holders Australia are heading home, and this tournament is now tantalisingly hard to call.South Africa did everything right today, and another showing like that in the final could finally land them a trophy.Thanks for following.
Bye,Then up steps a beaming Laura Wolvaardt: “I think it’s right up there with one of the best wins of my career for sure,” she surely understates,“It was such an amazing chase – Anneka batted excellently, the bowlers excellent too,It’s been a real collective group effort,With them being the side they are we spent time analysing them for weakness, and perhaps we did that a bit more than other teams.
We didn’t have the best first two overs and Taz and I had a chat and said we had to put our feet down a little and then Anneka came out and did what she had to do – one of the standouts of her career and what a time to bring it out,” As for their potential final opponents? “West Indies look dangerous at the moment but you can never count out [New Zealand’s Amelia] Kerr and [Sophie] DevineThe captains speak,First up, Tahlia McGrath: “It’s pretty hard to take,” admits the Australia captain, “we just didn’t really show up and you can’t afford to do that, and full credit to South Africa – they outplaed us tonight and we weren’t at our best,We’ve had this World Cup in our minds for a long time, we were well prepped and felt like we left no stone unturned but just didn’t show up tonight,“We found it quite tricky out there and South Africa bowled really well – they took the pace off nicely, made it hard to take risks.
We thought it might be a par score but South Africa made it look like a different wicket and batted really well,We were trying to keep it really simple but were off our best and got punished,” She remains confident in her players though, from veterans to youngsters,“Megan Schutt has been huge this tournament and always leads from the front and some of our youngsters in Bels [Annabel Sutherland] and Phoebes [Litchfield] show us the future’s bright,”Anneke Bosch is unsurprisingly named player of the match.
“My heart is racing a lot,” she says,“It was quite tough out there and am glad we could get over the line and that I could finally contribute some runs,Me and Laura out there talked about keeping it simple, not overthinking, playing with the conditions and sticking to what we know,” Praise too for the pre-match pep talks of bowling consultant Paul Adams: “His speeches help us before the game and psyche us up,I can’t really describe what it means but we knew we were capable of it.
”This really is a huge result.South Africa didn’t just beat the serial world champions; they comprehensively outplayed them, bowling with nous, control and intelligence, then batting with controlled aggression, making the world’s best bowling attack look toothless.They’re in a second consecutive final.17.2 overs: South Africa 135-2 (Bosch 74, Tryon 1); target 135.
Schutt’s death bowling skills will surely not be enough here as she returns to the attack.And they’re not, a full toss is cracked to the deep midwicket boundary for four to complete an astonishing, brilliant victory.AUSTRALIA HAVE LOST AN ACTUAL GAME OF TOURNAMENT CRICKET17th over: South Africa 131-2 (Bosch 70, Tryon 1); target 135.Sutherland begins her over with perhaps the best ball of the innings, a searingly accurate yorker aimed at middle that is well dug out by Bosch, who responds by carving a nervelessly excellent shot through the offside for four.A single follows, giving Bosch her highest T20 score and the highest of the whole tournament.
Tryon is off the mark with a swiped single,One more brings the target down to just four more needed,16th over: South Africa 124-2 (Bosch 64, Tryon 0); target 135,Molineux returns, producing Bosch’s first dot ball for 22 deliveries,But she gets a single reaching for a sweep across the line.
Tryon looks slightly troubled by Molineux, surviving an lbw appeal.Only three from the over but only 11 needed.15th over: South Africa 121-2 (Bosch 61); target 135.Australia stay alert in the field but five singles off Sutherland’s first five suit SA just fine.But then Wolvaardt perishes.
That was South Africa’s highest ever T20 partnership for any wicket against Australia, 96,The captain miscues a slower ball to mid-off where McGrath takes an easy catch,A turning point, or too late14th over: South Africa 116-1 (Wolvaardt 40, Bosch 58); target 135,McGrath brings herself on, a wayward full-bunger wide rather summing up Australia’s current predicament, but the Australia captain’s over is otherwise tight, as it has to be, but not tight enough, for South Africa need only 19 to win from 36 balls,13th over: South Africa 108-1 (Wolvaardt 37, Bosch 55); target 135.
Dare I use the word carnage? Wolvaardt sweeps Gardner for four to make this the best partnership against Australia all tournament,Bosch too finds the boundary, following the spin and easing a sweep for four,This is such good batting,Bosch brings up her 50, off 31 balls, with a crack through the covers for two,Then, an audacious lofted reverse sweep for four.
12th over: South Africa 93-1 (Wolvaardt 32, Bosch 45); target 135.Wareham has a long conflab with McGrath before beginning her second over, her first having gone for 10.The spinner is more on the money now, tucking Wolvaardt up nicely but not being so fortunate with Bosch, who swings cleanly over midwicket for four – and then betters it with a similar shot that goes further and higher for SIX.Over the long boundary.She’s hit her best form of the tournament here, by miles11th over: South Africa 81-1 (Wolvaardt 31, Bosch 34); target 135.
A Bosch single into the legside off Schutt brings up the 50 partnership,Wolvaardt then essays a risky swipe into the legside that eludes fielders and plugs in the turf a touch, but it all keeps the scoreboard ticking over,Four singles precede a lovely deft reverse sweep lofted towards third man for two by Bosch,Australia’s attack just doesn’t look as threatening as it usually does,10th over: South Africa 74-1 (Wolvaardt 29, Bosch 29); target 135.
McGrath continues to rotate her pack, restoring Molineux to the attack,The middle-overs-meandering continues with three singles,Both these batters are still trying to welly it but for now finding fielders,Five from the over,Drinks.
9th over: South Africa 69-1 (Wolvaardt 27, Bosch 26); target 135,Sutherland returns, the boundaries dry up, but the Proteas don’t need to force the pace too much at present,An over of ones and twos is OK for now,They’re more than halfway to their target,Nervous much?8th over: South Africa 63-1 (Wolvaardt 25, Bosch 22); target 135.
Now Wareham comes on to bowl, but still the Protean aggression continues, Bosch biffing a lofted drive, reading the spin, high down the ground for four more,A neat swivel pull for two ensues as Australia just can’t stem the flow of runs,But they do have a shout for lbw as Bosch misses one that goes on,It’s turned down but reviewed – with reason, it looked close – but it’s missing off,Australia lose a review.
7th over: South Africa 53-1 (Wolvaardt 24, Bosch 13); target 135.Darcie Brown is the fifth Australia bowler used, as McGrath brings some pace back into the attack.Bosch slightly miscues a pull but it’s beyond midwicket and brings one more.Then Wolvaardt cleanly hammers a straight accurate ball from Brown back over her and everyone else’s head for a gorgeous SIX.The Proteas captain is leading from the front at the moment.
6th over: South Africa 43-1 (Wolvaardt 16, Bosch 11); target 135.Sophie Molineux’s left-arm spin comes into the attack, and her first ball is swept high and unconvincingly by Bosch but it lands safely.The bowler will not be discouraged by that.Bosch connects rather more cleanly off her third ball, and it sails to the square leg boundary for four.And the next is cracked over mid-off for four more.
A confident end to the powerplay by South Africa,Australia were 35-2 at this stage,Just saying,5th over: South Africa 33-1 (Wolvaardt 16, Bosch 1); target 135,Sutherland is into the attack and strikes first ball – a big breakthrough.
Sutherland tightens the screw, until Wolvaardt swings a slower ball over midwicket and it gathers pace along the ground to reach the ropes.Two more complete a lively over.Sutherland strikes with her first ball, a brilliant back of a length ball that’s aimed at top of off, and hits top of off.4th over: South Africa 25-0 (Wolvaardt 10, Brits 15); target 135.Gardner’s started very well, offering nothing and still finding flight and spin, but after two dots she’s launched over the top by Brits for SIX – just – as the fielder in the deep, Sutherland, can only parry it over the ropes.
A single and a two follow in another productive Proteas over,The South Africa openers are now clear as the top two run-scorers in the competition3rd over: South Africa 16-0 (Wolvaardt 8, Brits 8); target 135,Clever batting from Wolvaardt who steers a wide ball from Schutt over the offside in-field for two, and follows it with an easy single,Then a fumble on the long-off boundary from Sutherland gifts SA their first boundary after an elegantly struck lofted drive by Brits,Another four follows when Wolvaardt edges a decent ball beyond the keeper and it skids away to the ropes.
South Africa are up and running,2nd over: South Africa 4-0 (Wolvaardt 1, Brits 3); target 135,Unlike the Proteas, Australia don’t go for all-seam openers, tossing Ash Gardner the ball,Brits advances and clobbers her first ball down the ground for two,She can hit the ball very hard, but mostly – in this over – to fielders, in five consecutive dot balls.
Just a hint of Brits showing early frustration.1st over: South Africa 2-0 (Wolvaardt 1, Brits 1); target 135.Megan Schutt opens up for Australia, finding plenty of movement through the air.A couple of singles are all that South Africa can muster off a tidy first over.This is a time for cool, confident heads.
So, a competitive total in the end for Australia, but a certainly reachable one for South Africa, whose generally smart bowling showed why they’re more merited semi-finalists than England,It’s beautifully set up for the chase that South Africa opted for on winning the toss, having twice beaten Australia chasing earlier this year,Back in a bit,Go nowhere,20th over: Australia 134-5 (Perry 31, Litchfield 16*)
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Australia stunned by South Africa: Women’s T20 World Cup semi-final – as it happened
A few days back I had a bit of a moan that this had been a slightly underwhelming tournament, with a lack of surprises and/or close finishes. Well we still could do with a close finish but we’ve had a couple of big shocks, courtesy of turbo-charged displays from West Indies on Tuesday and now South Africa tonight. The serial champions and holders Australia are heading home, and this tournament is now tantalisingly hard to call. South Africa did everything right today, and another showing like that in the final could finally land them a trophy. Thanks for following
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