Women’s T20 World Cup, Dubai

Australia 134-5 (20 overs): Mooney 44 (42); Khaka 2-24

South Africa 135-2 (17.2 overs): Bosch 74* (48), Wolvaardt 42 (37); Sutherland 2-26

South Africa won by eight wickets

Scorecard.

Australia suffered a shock semi-final exit from the T20 World Cup as South Africa raced to an emphatic nine-wicket win in Dubai.

The defending champions missed out on an eighth final appearance as the Proteas reached to their target of 135 with 16 balls to spare.

Anneke Bosch struck a sensational unbeaten 74 from 48 balls while captain Laura Wolvaardt added a classy 42 in a second-wicket partnership of 96 that left Australia reeling.

The epic run chase came after South Africa’s bowlers had smartly restricted Australia to 134-5 in a curiously underwhelming innings.

Grace Harris and Georgia Wareham fell early in the powerplay before opener Beth Mooney dropped anchor with 44 from 42 balls.

But they paid the price for stuttering in the middle overs, with the run-rate rarely creeping over a run-a-ball as captain Tahlia McGrath trudged to 27 from 33.

Ellyse Perry’s 31 from 23 and Phoebe Litchfield’s nine-ball 16 added a late burst but the total still felt below-par on a pitch that favoured chasing, as West Indies proved against England on Wednesday.

South Africa started the chase confidently with a powerplay of 43-1, comfortably ahead of Australia’s 35-2 at the same stage, before Tazmin Brits’ departure for 15 kickstarted the phenomenal partnership.

Bosch, whose previous high score in the tournament was 25, crunched eight fours and a six in her match-winning effort which rewarded the faith of the South Africa selectors who kept her place at number three in the line-up, and saw them reach their second successive final after the 2023 edition on home soil.

The second semi-final takes place between New Zealand and West Indies at Sharjah on Friday, meaning Sunday’s final will be the first in either white-ball format without Australia or England involved.

After being put in to bat, Australia did not carry the usual swagger and confidence that you would expect to come with being six-time winners of this tournament.

In fact, they were timid, only hitting 11 boundaries in total. That is despite the enviable batting depth that they possess which often results in them playing with much more freedom than other teams who tend to be protecting fragile, inexperienced middle orders.

Harris and Wareham’s early departures did not feel catastrophic with the likes of Perry, Litchfield, McGrath and Ash Gardner to come – but with each over that passed by without an acceleration, there was a sense that such a kickstart would never appear.

In the end, being five wickets down felt like a big waste with the destructive Gardner and Annabel Sutherland left waiting in the dugout.

And they were punished for such caution as South Africa’s innings was a complete contradiction.

Wolvaardt timed the ball beautifully from the outset with her trademark exquisite cover drives but Bosch’s knock was a spectacle.

Against England in the group stage, the 31-year-old stuttered to 18 from 26 balls and did not look the part at three, but against the world’s formidable force, she struck the ball with such clarity and power in a manner that we have yet seen in this tournament.

It is the highest individual score so far, and for that to be delivered under the most pressure and against such a high-quality opponent was astonishing – and the ease of South Africa’s victory was such that even Marizanne Kapp was not required to bat.

Australia did not do too much wrong with the ball as Bosch did not even offer a chance, but they will rue their lack of ambition with the bat as they allowed South Africa to take one step closer to their first global title.