Defending Champions Australia has brilliantly defeated South Africa by a narrow five runs in a rain-hit Semi-finals and entered the finals of Women’s T20 World Cup for the sixth time. The power pack Australian team has ended the dreams of South-Africa in a rain-hit semi-final. Australia made 134 runs for five off their 20 overs while South Africa made ahead to toe efforts but just managed to fetch 92 for five & just miss out their opportunity to make it to final for the first time. South Africa won the toss and made Australia bat first at the Sydney Cricket Ground after rain that soaked the city all day finally cleared!
Australia’s performance got enhanced by skipper Meg Lanning’s 49 runs while Nadine de Klerk took three wickets for just 19 runs. Set big-hitting South Africa opener Lizelle Lee smacked a huge six off spinner Sophie Molineux to get the run chase underway, but then holed out to Ashleigh Gardner on the boundary ropes. Skipper Dane van Niekerk looked dangerous but pace spearhead Megan Schutt clean-bowled her for 12, then Lanning took a difficult catch to remove Mignon du Preez and leave South Africa struggling at 26 for three after five overs. However exemplary Laura Wolvaardt 41 runs not out and Sunne Luus 21 runs got them back on track with some power-hitting to set up an exciting finale with 32 runs needed off the last three overs & they fall five runs short.
Earlier, Beth Mooney and Alyssa Healy aggressively set about building a big total for Australia. Healy was dropped in the fourth over by wicket-keeper Trisha Chetty after smacking two successive fours from Nonkululeko Mlaba. But she didn’t make the most of her second life, falling in the next over after a quickfire 18 off 13 balls. In-form fellow opener Mooney blasted 28 and looked in fine fettle until she was clean-bowled by Nadine de Klerk. However, we can’t deny that South-Africa tried to put a brake on the rising scores with Jess Jonassen gone after tree balls as Australia reached 70 for three at the halfway mark. Rachael Haynes made a 32-run stand with Lanning before she too departed to de Klerk, as the captain was left to carry her team to what became a winning total.
The second semifinal proved lucky for Australia as the rain didn’t come in their way of winning the Semi-Finals!
