Summing up
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.
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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] Devine
The 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.
SOUTH AFRICA HAVE DONE IT. AUSTRALIA ARE BEATEN BY EIGHT WICKETS
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 CRICKET
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17th 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.
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Wicket! Wolvaardt c McGrath b Sutherland 42, South Africa 121-2
The captain miscues a slower ball to mid-off where McGrath takes an easy catch. A turning point, or too late
14th 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 miles
11th 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.
Wicket! Brits b Sutherland 15, South Africa 25-1
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 competition
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3rd 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.
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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.
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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.
Australia 134-5 from 20 overs; South Africa need 135 to win
20th over: Australia 134-5 (Perry 31, Litchfield 16*). Khaka bowls the final over and starts it with a magnificent slow yorker – a valuable dot ball. Then another full one that can only be carved away for one by Litchfield, but Perry’s a wily campaigner and she advances to power a straight drive down the ground for four. Two more twos ensue before a wide prolongs the innings. But the last ball is a wicket, Perry connects cleanly swinging towards deep midwicket but this time Brits holds on, and holds on well.
19th over: Australia 124-4 (Perry 23, Litchfield 15). De Klerk gets the penultimate over, from which four singles are followed by a drop from Perry’s high off-drive that Brits spills. That looked pretty regulation. Perry then rubs salt in the wounds with a crisp cover drive for four. One over to go, and this partnership looks useful already.
18th over: Australia 114-4 (Perry 15, Litchfield 13). Mlaba continues to ask questions in her final over, Perry miscuing a drive but still getting two when she wanted four. Litchfield has no such problems, creaming a lofted off-drive for four, and hacking the next, slower ball for four more. Superb batting, which could make all the difference for Australia in these death overs.
17th over: Australia 103-4 (Perry 13, Litchfield 4). Given this pair’s ability against spin, Wolvaardt turns to seam again, and Kapp’s final over. Mooney continues to power this innings, cracking a fierce two, before running herself out. In comes the aggressive Litchfield, who’s off the mark with a firm square drive for four.
Wicket! Mooney run out 44, Australia 99-4
A biggie! The opener advances to drive a full toss, sets off for a single that’s not on, Kapp throws down the stumps and an umpire’s review confirms she’s a goner.
16th over: Australia 94-3 (Mooney 42, Perry 10). Mooney cracks Tryon for another one-bounce drive for a single – soon one of these will find a fielder’s hands surely – but not yet. Mooney finds the boundary at last, almost holing out to Kapp at deep midwicket but she can’t quite reach it and it’s four. Tryon ends with figures of 4-0-25-0 and Beth Mooney becomes the quickest woman to 3,000 T20i runs.
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15th over: Australia 86-3 (Mooney 36, Perry 8). Perry tries to hit Mlaba over the top but only finds long-off after one bounce as boundaries continue to elude Australia, Mooney doing likewise and cover-driving along the ground for two. She’s got such smart variations of pace and length though, Mlaba, making it harder for batters to pre-execute. Another Mooney slog brings two, before Perry rounds off the over with another swipe towards long-off that bounces between three fielders. They’ll be pleased to have kept the scoreboard ticking during that over but Australia wanted more.
14th over: Australia 78-3 (Mooney 31, Perry 5). Mooney loves a firm pull shot, and essays one with force off Tryon, but the Proteas have women out on the legside boundary to minimise the damage. Perry offers Wolvaardt a half-chance at backward point and she lands awkwardly while trying and failing to reach it. She’s OK though. Tryon then reviews for lbw after striking an advancing Mooney on the pad, but it’s pitched outside leg. Review burned. But SA will be pleased at the level of control they currently have, and just the odd hint of desperation in their opponents.
13th over: Australia 72-3 (Mooney 28, Perry 3). The partnership is ended by clever bowling from Mlaba, bringing to the crease Perry, who’s off the mark with a high drive for two. It’s an over full of variation and challenges, and yields only four, plus an all-important wicket. Brilliant cricket.
Wicket! McGrath c Dercksen b Mlaba 27, Australia 68-3
Mlaba does it again, returning to the attack and foxing McGrath with a slower back of a length ball that the Australia captain dollies up to backward point.
12th over: Australia 68-2 (Mooney 27, McGrath 27). The Proteas revert to Seam, and Khaka, but Australia keep the scoreboard whirring, McGrath almost offering De Klerk a chance at mid-off but it drops short and bounces painfully into her shin. The 50 partnership is brought up; its eventual size could be pivotal to the outcome.
11th over: Australia 62-2 (Mooney 25, McGrath 23). The cameras pan over, as they oftendo, to Dubai rush-hour traffic, prompting me to mull over geopolitics and working conditions (I’m proper fun at parties, me). Out in the middle, Mooney continues to look Australia’s most comfortable batter, playing balls on their merits and looking to score. McGrath needs to match that, and now she does with a belted four off a short Luus delivery that races to the deep point boundary. Just a sign of shackles coming off there. SA need a wicket.
10th over: Australia 53-2 (Mooney 21, McGrath 18). At last, Australia release some pressure, Mooney advancing to Tryon and lofting a drive down the ground for four. Australia pass 50, their slowest first 50 of the tournament, but it’s still their most profitable over since the end of the powerplay. At the halfway stage, South Africa will be fractionally happier. They’ve bowled very well.
Drinks.
9th over: Australia 44-2 (Mooney 15, McGrath 15). All spin now as Luus comes on early (for her), and nearly induces McGrath to play on with a miscued slogsweep. Australia continue to struggle to cut loose, but South Africa could do with a wicket to reward their economy. You don’t want to leave these two batters out there too long.
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8th over: Australia 42-2 (Mooney 14, McGrath 14). Some different left-arm spin now, from Chloe Tryon. McGrath is itching to take her on but her middle/leg-stump line stifles such notions. Tryon also bamboozles McGrath with a beauty full of turn and bounce that rips past her outside edge, reading and foiling the batter’s intentions. Excellent stuff.
7th over: Australia 39-2 (Mooney 13, McGrath 12). Nadine de Klerk is introduced, keeper standing up. The batters deal in ones and twos in a tight over. Nicely poised this, at the moment.
6th over: Australia 35-2 (Mooney 10, McGrath 11). Spin now, and the in-form Mlaba gets the final over of the powerplay. Her first ball is an unpunished half-tracker, but her third is cracked to the extra cover boundary by the Australia captain for four. Mlabab responds by tucking her up a bit more, inducing a risky swivel-pull that almost finds the fielder at square leg but McGrath hammers the final ball of the power play square on the off for four. Australia’s most promising over thus far, led by the skipper.
5th over: Australia 27-2 (Mooney 10, McGrath 3). Better from Mooney, who straight drives Kapp breezily down the ground for two. I was about to say this is good measured stuff from Australia before Mooney miscues a drive that almost finds the hand of the fielder at point. It’s another fine over from Kapp all told – she likes this ground. One over of the powerplay left for Australia to find those gaps.
4th over: Australia 23-2 (Mooney 7, McGrath 2). Mooney and the captain, McGrath, get a single each as Khaka continues and the Proteas quicks continue to apply powerplay pressure, but this pair do a decent job of at least keeping the scoreboard moving and the strike rotating.
Wicket! Wareham c Jafta b Kapp 5, Australia 18-2
3rd over: Australia 18-2 (Mooney 4). Mooney seizes her first chance to be expansive, square-driving firmly to the long boundary for three off Kapp. The first boundary off the bat comes via a free hit Kapp presents to Georgia Wareham who swipes to the deep midwicket boundary for four. But other than that Kapp is finding a good testing length that keeps the batter honest, and then beats Wareham with an outswinger that prompts a rejected appeal for a catch behind, which is reviewed. And rightly so. Wareham’s gone, there was an edge. This is excellent from South Africa.
2nd over: Australia 10-1 (Mooney 1, Wareham 1). Seam at both ends, and it works. Khaka dismissing Harris with her first delivery. Australia punt Wareham up the order, who gets off the mark with a single. There’s definite swing in the air, and Mooney is watchful against a bowler who’s had success against left-handers in this tournament. This is, in this very early stage, a promising start for the Proteas.
Wicket! Harris c Bosch by Khaka 3, Australia 7-1
Khaka strikes with her first ball, Harris cutting low to backward point and Bosch scooping up a fine catch.
1st over: Australia 7-0 (Harris 3 Mooney 0). Seam up first with the mighty Marizanne Kapp taking the new ball in the dusky light, and she beats Harris with an away-swinger straight away. This is why they back their bowlers to go first. Harris responds by moving in front of off and gets Australia on the board with a dinky little ramp to fine leg for two. A single (despite Harris wanting to come back for a second) is followed by four byes as what looked like an inside edge zips through Jafta’s fingers behind the stumps.
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A rather gorgeous sunset is visible on the skyline as the teams stride out for the anthems, amid the usual fireworky shenanigans. And the anthems ring out in fairly operatic style. Let’s go …
Alyssa Healy “continues to be assessed daily”, according to the Australia camp, so could return for any final appearance.
Those teams in full
Australia: Grace Harris, Beth Mooney †, Tahlia McGrath (c), Ellyse Perry, Ashleigh Gardner, Phoebe Litchfield, Georgia Wareham, Annabel Sutherland, Sophie Molineux, Megan Schutt, Darcie Brown
South Africa: Laura Wolvaardt (c), Tazmin Brits, Anneke Bosch, Marizanne Kapp, Chloe Tryon, Sune Luus, Annerie Dercksen, Nadine de Klerk, Sinalo Jafta †, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Ayabonga Khaka
South Africa win the toss and bowl
Laura Wolvaardt fancies a chase and doesn’t hesitate to field first when the coin lands the right side up. South Africa field an unchanged side. “Hopefully we can catch them off guard,” she says. Tahlia McGrath is happy enough to bat first, get to 160-170 and apply some scoreboard pressure. The Aussie captain confirms Healy’s absence as they too go with the same XI that played India in their last game.
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Earlier in the week, before West Indies’ spectacular display against England, Raf Nicholson wrote an insightful summary of what we’ve learned from the tournament so far. Tuck in while we wait for the toss:
Is the UAE the spinner’s paradise we were all led to believe? Five of the top 10 leading wicket-takers in the tournament so far are seamers – including Australia’s Megan Schutt (eight wickets) and Annabel Sutherland (seven). When Australia v India came down to the wire on Sunday, with India needing 14 runs from the final over, it was Sutherland who the stand-in captain Tahlia McGrath turned to. The all-rounder was the embodiment of composure, giving away only five runs (while taking two wickets) as Australia held firm.
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Preamble
Afternoon/evening/(very early) morning everyone. Welcome to the latest episode in what consensus has it is Australia’s procession to another World T20 title. South Africa stand in their way today, having put together some commanding wins in the group stage, bar their fairly convincing defeat by England. But Heather Knight’s increasingly brittle side messed up at the last and have gone home.
All of which leaves the Proteas as probably the second strongest of the semi-finalists, with their leading talents – such as Laura Woolvaardt and Tamzin Brits with the bat, the effective left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba with the ball and the always dangerous all-rounder Marizanne Kapp – all in decent nick, they should pose Australia their biggest challenge of the tournament so far.
For the holders have been formidable, twice bowling opponents out in under 20 overs and even in their narrowest win, over India, they never lost control. There’s match-winners everywhere you look down their line-up, even when key players are injured. One such, Alyssa Healy, was still doubtful overnight having picked up a foot injury against Pakistan but the Australia camp say they want to give her as much time as possible to declare herself fit to play in Dubai today. And the fact that Dubai, the best of the surfaces used in the tournament, is today’s venue gives us hope for some decent scoring rates in what has been a low-scoring competition.
These sides met in the final of the last World T20, of course, where home advantage didn’t count for enough for South Africa, and Australia carved out a 19-run victory, because that’s what they do.
We’ll be under way at 3pm BST/6pm local time/1am AET. Stick around.
