A brilliant unbeaten 74 from Anneke Bosch fired South Africa into the final of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 and ended Australia’s reign after three successive titles.
Afine bowling display from the Proteas restricted the defending champions to 134 for five, Beth Mooney top-scoring with 44.
Ayabonga Khaka and Marizanne Kapp were the star bowlers for South Africa, Khaka taking two for 24, while Kapp finished her four overs with figures of one for 24, as well as the run-out of Mooney.
Thanks to 31 runs from the last three overs, Australia’s total looked competitive, but a 96-run stand between Bosch and Laura Wolvaardt (42) for the second wicket soon had South Africa in total control.
While Wolvaardt departed, Bosch made sure there was no late wobble, seeing out the eight-wicket victory for the Proteas.
So, a year on from being denied in the final on home soil by Australia, South Africa exacted their revenge to secure their place at the big dance for the second tournament running, where they will take on the winner of West Indies v New Zealand.
Having won the toss, South Africa put Australia in to bat and made immediate inroads as Grace Harris slashed the ball straight to Bosch off Khaka’s very first delivery, departing for three in the second over.
Georgia Wareham then fell caught behind off Kapp for five, leaving the defending champions in a spot of bother at 18 for two after three overs.
That brought skipper Tahlia McGrath to the crease alongside Mooney, and the pair put on exactly 50 in just under 10 overs, keeping the strike rate ticking over but struggling to the find the boundaries.
McGrath hit a couple of boundaries off Nonkululeko Mlaba’s first over, but Australia were still only 35 for two at the end of their powerplay, their lowest score after six overs in the tournament so far.
With runs proving hard to come back, Australia passed 50 in the tenth over, before McGrath fell to Mlaba for 27, mistiming a slower delivery straight to Annerie Dercksen.
Even the arrival of Perry did not signal more boundaries, but she and Mooney ran well between the wickets in a 31-run stand that ended when Mooney was run out by some brilliant work from Kapp, off her own bowling.
The opener had almost done enough to get back into her crease after realising the quick single was not on, but Kapp’s throw hit the stumps with Mooney’s bat still in the air as she dived.
That brought Phoebe Litchfield to the crease and she showed her intent from the off, driving Kapp through point for four off her very first ball to bring up the hundred.
She added two more from Mlaba’s final two deliveries as Australia upped the pace in the final overs.
Perry looked to do the same, and was given a life when Tamzin Brits dropped her in the deep in the penultimate over, that error immediately punished by a crunching drive through extra cover for four.
Khaka returned for the final over, with Perry finding the boundary one more time before Brits earned a measure of revenge as she held on at deep midwicket off the final delivery to leave Australia on 134 for five from their 20 overs.
In reply, Australia put the clamps on in the first couple of overs before two Brits boundaries helped spark the chase.
She smashed Ashleigh Gardner for six but was then cleaned up by Annabel Sutherland’s first ball for 15, leaving South Africa 25 for one.
With Bosch joining skipper Wolvaardt in the middle, the pair took an attacking approach to the chase, a stunning six from the captain off Darcie Brown bringing up the half-century in the seventh over.
By halfway, they were 74 for one, needing just 61 from 60 deliveries to pull off the win and avenge last year’s final.
The moment it became clear that Australia would not come back came in the 12th over, as Bosch smashed Wareham for four through deep midwicket before repeating the trick for six the following ball.
With Wolvaardt then doing the same to Gardner off the first ball of the next over, the required rate started to drop like a stone. Bosch brought up her half-century off just 31 balls with Australia unable to find even an inkling of an opportunity.
When the wicket finally came, the result was already in the bag, Wolvaardt picking out McGrath off Sutherland for 42 just short of the century partnership.
By that stage, just 14 were needed from five overs and Bosch kept her foot on the gas to see South Africa home with 16 balls to spare thanks to her 48-ball 74.
Australia v South Africa, Dubai International Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Australia 134/5 from 20 overs (Beth Mooney 44, Ellyse Perry 31; Ayabonga Khaka 2/24, Marizanne Kapp 1/24)
South Africa 135/2 from 17.2 overs (Anneke Bosch 74 not out, Laura Wolvaardt 42; Annabel Sutherland 2/26)
Result: South Africa win by eight wickets
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