South Africa: Proteas Women beat Australia by 8-wickets to rise to the Women’s T20 World Cup Final. The SA team scored 135 for 2 runs and defeated Australia at 134 for 5 runs.
South Africa showed everyone that how it is done, with the papare band blaring at the Dubai International Stadium, held in front of a sparse crowd. A collective bowling effort by the players was followed by a strong batting show. The performance was led by a 96-run partnership created between captain Laura Wolvaardt and Anneke Bosch.
Players registered an eight wicket win in the first semi-final to send Australians all packed from Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, therefore ending their run of seven successive finals in the competition.
It was Australia’s first ICC competition after Meg Lanning’s retirement that ended in the defeating stages with the six-time champions Alyssa Healy, who then suffered a foot injury while playing against Pakistan.
Women Proteas restricted Australia from scoring further, to 134 for 5 despite of a late surge and then romped them to home by 8-wickets with 16 balls to spare, made a massive statement and then entered their second consecutive T20 World Cup final.
SA cricket team presented clarity in their opinion and decided evidently at the toss, when they inserted Australia in a crunch game. Marizanne Kapp and Ayabonga Khaka got enough swing from the new ball.
Khaka did not even have to find out about the purchase to pick up a wicket. The very first ball hit by her in the game was a length that shaped away a touch. Then Grace Harris slashed into hands of backward point.
Kapp extracted enough movement in both ways during the opening over. In her second inning, she saw a free hit that is being dispatched through square leg by Georgia Wareham. She used the outswing to undo the batter.
South Africa is welcoming DRS aid as then Kapp bowled one on good length around the fifth stump and Wareham couldn’t resist the slash. On-field umpire missed the edge but Kapp and wicketkeeper Sinalo Jafta knew it already.
SA player Kapp was getting so much assistance from Wolvaardt, as she gave her a third straight over inside the powerplay. Australia then managed only 35 for 2 in the first six overs, their lowest in the phase in T20 World Cup and ended up facing 19 dot balls.
South Africa’s Women Proteas will play their next match which is final on Friday, October 18, 2024 for which the rival team is yet to be decided. The other team will be decided today after the match played between West Indies and New Zealand.