South Africa 135 for two (Bosch 74*, Wolvaardt 42, Sutherland 2-26) beat Australia 134 for five (Mooney 44, Perry 31, Khaka 2-24) by eight wickets
South Africa confirmed ’em all how it’s executed – with the papare band blaring on the Dubai Worldwide Stadium in entrance of a sparse crowd.
South Africa first restricted Australia to 134 for five regardless of a late surge, after which romped house by eight wickets with 16 balls to spare to make an enormous assertion and enter their second consecutive T20 World Cup ultimate.
Powerplay strangle ft. Kapp and Khaka
The readability in South Africa’s pondering was evident on the toss, once they inserted Australia in a crunch sport. Marizanne Kapp and Ayabonga Khaka received sufficient swing with the brand new ball. In truth, Khaka didn’t even have to search out out concerning the buy to select up a wicket. Her first ball within the sport was a size ball that formed away a contact and Grace Harris slashed into the palms of backward level.
Kapp had extracted sufficient motion each methods within the opening over. In her second, she noticed a free hit being dispatched via sq. leg by Georgia Wareham. However she used the outswing to undo the batter, the DRS coming to South Africa’s help. Kapp bowled one on good size across the fifth stump and Wareham could not resist the slash. The on-field umpire missed the sting however Kapp and wicketkeeper Sinalo Jafta knew.
Kapp was getting a lot help that Wolvaardt gave her a 3rd straight over contained in the powerplay. Australia managed solely 35 for two within the first six overs, their lowest within the part on this T20 World Cup, and ended up dealing with 19 dots.
A semblance of restoration courtesy Mooney, McGrath
Regardless of that, Australia managed to get a robust end, scoring 31 off the final three overs, because of Ellyse Perry and Phoebe Litchfield. However given what adopted, it was not robust sufficient.
Wolvaardt and Bosch knock out Australia
Like Australia, South Africa additionally confronted 19 dot balls within the first six overs. However they hit 5 fours and a six in that part to complete on 43 for 1, the very best by any group towards Australia on this T20 World Cup. However whereas Australia scored 21 of their 9 attacking photographs within the powerplay, South Africa managed 32 off ten. It started with Tazmin Brits unafraid of utilizing her ft towards Ashleigh Gardner after which towards Megan Schutt, too. Brits hit Gardner for a six, clearing the leaping Annabel Sutherland on the rope.
Sutherland, although, struck along with her first ball, getting a size supply to skid and rattle Brits’ off stump. The time was ripe for Australia to use the squeeze, however Wolvaardt and Bosch had different concepts. The previous first clubbed Sutherland over midwicket earlier than Bosch hit back-to-back boundaries off Sophie Molineux within the sixth over. Wolvaardt additionally swung her Adelaide Strikers team-mate Darcie Brown over long-on for an enormous six.
Intent was writ giant all through South Africa’s chase with Bosch trying a few reverse hits and being nimble on her ft towards spin. South Africa had hit a 4 in each over from the third to the eighth. It was adopted by three boundary-less over however Bosch broke the shackles by hitting Wareham for a 4 and 6 off back-to-back deliveries. She then went 4, 2, 4 towards Gardner within the subsequent over to carry up her fifty.
Wolvaardt fell – holing out to long-off – with South Africa solely 14 away. Bosch duly completed it off to stay unbeaten on 74, her finest T20I rating.
Solely earlier this yr, South Africa had defeated Australia for the primary time in T20Is. Who knew that might be a precursor to one thing large like this, and put them a step nearer to their maiden world title?
S Sudarshanan is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo. @Sudarshanan7
