Dubai. South Africa entered the final of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup by defeating the six-time champion Australian team by eight wickets on Thursday, thanks to a brilliant half-century by Anneke Bosch (74 not out) after some tight bowling. South Africa defeated Australia for the first time in the T20 World Cup. The final of the 2023 season was played between the two teams in which Australia won by 19 runs.
Now on Sunday, South Africa will face the winner of the second semi-final between New Zealand and West Indies.
With the help of ‘Player of the Match’ Bosh’s unbeaten inning of 48 balls studded with eight fours and one six, South Africa broke the Australian team’s dream of entering the final for the eighth time by scoring 135 runs for two wickets in 17.2 overs. Earlier, after being invited to bat, the Australian team, which had a slow start, could only score 134 runs for five wickets. Australia has played semi-finals in all nine seasons of this tournament, which started in 2009.
The aggressive partnership of 96 runs in 65 balls for the second wicket between captain Laura Wolwart (42 runs) and Bosh played an important role in South Africa’s victory. Wolwart hit three fours and a six in 37 balls, while Tajmin Britts scored 15 runs in 15 balls with one four and one six. Annabel Sutherland took both the wickets of South Africa. Earlier, for Australia, wicketkeeper batsman Beth Mooney scored the highest score of 44 runs for the team. Captain Tahlia McGrath contributed 27 runs.
In the end, the Australian team reached this score with the help of Alice Perry’s 31 runs in 23 balls and Phoebe Litchfield’s unbeaten 16 runs in nine balls. In the end, South Africa gave away 40 runs in the last four overs. South Africa bowled hard with Ayabonga Khaka taking two wickets for 24 runs in four overs while Marizanne Kapp and Nonkululeko Mlaba got one wicket each.
Australia got the first blow in the second over with the dismissal of Grace Harris who was caught out on the ball of Khaka. Georgia Wareham (05) could only hit one four in her innings and was caught by the wicketkeeper on Kap’s ball. Wicketkeeper Beth Mooney along with captain McGrath made a partnership of 50 runs in 55 balls for the third wicket.
But Mlaba’s ball ended McGrath’s 33-ball innings in which he hit three fours. Beth Mooney was run out by Kapp who hit two fours during her 42-ball innings. In this way the team lost the fourth wicket for 99 runs. Perry and Lichfield together helped the team reach this score. Lichfield hit three fours in his nine-ball innings.