Skip to main content

SAStun Defending Champions Australia To Enter Women's T20 World Cup Final

A resolute South Africa came up with a clinical performance to shock mighty Australia by eight wickets and enter the final of the Women's T20 World Cup on Thursday. South Africa thus exacted revenge for their loss in the last summit clash at home, when Australia won by 19 runs to lift their sixth title. Put in, Australia were stopped at a modest 134 for five as Beth Mooney top-scored with a 42-ball 44 in the first semifinal. Ayabonga Khaka (2/24) was the most successful bowler for South Africa, even as others chipped in nicely.

South Africa completed the task with 16 balls to spare and Anneke Bosch led the way with a scintillating knock of 74 not out in 48 balls. Skipper Laura Wolvaardt contributed a 37-ball 42 at the top of the order.

Earlier, Wolvaardt opted to field after winning the toss and her decision was justified as Ayabonga Khaka had Grace Harris and then Marizanne Kapp accounted for the wicket of Georgia Wareham to leave the Australians struggling at 18 for two in the third over.

Tahlia McGrath (27 off 33 balls) joined Mooney in the middle and the two steadied the Australian innings with a 50-run stand for the third wicket.

The partnership was broken when Nonkululeko Mlaba dismissed McGrath to bring Ellyse Perry into the middle at the start of the 13th over.

Brief scores: Australia: 134/5 in 20 overs (Beth Mooney 44, Tahlia McGrath 27; Ayabonga Khaka 2/24).

South Africa: 135/2 in 17.2 overs (Anneke Bosch not out 74, Laura Wolvaardt 42; Annabel Sutherland 2/26). 



from NDTV Sports-Cricket
https://ift.tt/SfTcugV

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Sanju Samson's Act Minutes After T20 World Cup Selection Wins Hearts

April 8, 2008. Sanju Samson, then a skinny 14-year-old, curled on the bed in his hotel room, watched Kolkata Knight Riders' Brendon McCullum hammering a 73-ball 158 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the first-ever IPL match. That drizzly evening in Kottayam, a town in central Kerala, changed his heart. Forever. Sanju reshuffled his career dream, from wanting to become a civil servant to entering the elite world of a top-flight cricketer. "Sanju always recollects that day, which gave him the dream of reaching that league of top players one day," said former Kerala player Raiphi Vincent Gomez, also a close friend of the wicketkeeper batter. But merely having a dream will not take anyone to the top of their profession, more so in sports. Sanju then had oodles of determination too to walk down his chosen path. Biju George, the former India women's cricket team's fielding coach and the early mentor of the Kerala player, saw that brightly flickering flame inside...

Champions Trophy: BCCI Eyeing Star Who's Been Out Of Action For 417 Days

The Champions Trophy squad announcement deadline is January 12. The tournament starts on February 19, while India's first match is on February 20. All eyes will be on India's squad, especially after the Border Gavaskar Trophy debacle. Focus will be on veterans like Rohit Sharma , Virat Kohli , Jasprit Bumrah among others. In the midst of this, there is some positive news. Mohammed Shami , who last played an international match on November 19, 2023 (417 days ago from today), is expected to make a return, according to a report in Cricbuzz . Shami has been out of action since the 2023 ODI World Cup, where he was the top wicket-taker.  The report said that Shami's is being closely monitored by the BCCI's medical team. Shami underwent a surgery in his ankle after the World Cup. Then a knee swelling delayed his return and he missed the Border Gavaskar Trophy. Now, the report said that there is 'optimism' in the BCCI corridors over his return. A fitness clearance fro...

"Gets Aggressive At Times": Akram On Gambhir As India Head Coach Candidate

The hunt for the next Indian cricket team head coach is underway with Rahul Dravid reportedly confirming that he will not be reapplying for the position. A lot of names have been making the rounds like Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming , former India cricketer VVS Laxman and even ex-Australia batter Justin Langer . One such name is that of former India cricketer and current Kolkata Knight Riders mentor Gautam Gambhir - a personality who is well known for his cricket acumen but has already courted controversy for his straightforward statements. Legendary Pakistan pacer Wasim Akram backed Gambhir as the 'best candidate' and said that he will bring a brand of 'aggression' in the team if he is appointed. "Yeah, he is the best candidate. It depends on whether Gautam accepts it. He has also left politics because it took too much time. It is a time-consuming job. He is a very intelligent person, so he realised it's not easy. He has two lovely daughters,...