Ajit Karn
Highlights from the Women’s T20 World Cup: Australia beat South Africa
Australia beat South Africa by six wickets at St. George’s Park in Gqeberha on Saturday to move on to the semi-finals of the Women’s T20 World Cup. Tahlia McGrath and Ashleigh Gardner played aggressively with the bat to help Australia get there. Australia was in trouble when they were down to 40 for three with 125 to win. However, McGrath and Gardner went for their shots in a fourth-wicket partnership of 81 that helped the defending champions win with 21 balls to spare.
McGrath was the best partner. He hit 57 out of 33 balls before getting caught trying to hit a big shot when the team needed four runs to win. She had 29 deliveries before she got to 50.
Gardner made 28 not out out of 29 balls.
“Both Tahlia and Ash were great,” said Meg Lanning, the captain of the Australian team.
“They did a great job of summing up the situation and putting the pressure back on South Africa.”
Lanning agreed that South Africa had gotten off to a good start with both the bat and the ball.
“They put us under a lot of pressure, and our response was very unique.”
Sune Luus, the captain of the South African team, said that after being put in to bat, the team didn’t make the most of a good start.
She said, “We just didn’t get enough runs on the board.”
Australia won all four of their group games, while South Africa’s loss hurt their chances of making it to the semi-finals of the World Cup in their own country.
South Africa needs New Zealand to beat Sri Lanka in Paarl on Sunday because they have only won one of their first three games.
The hosts will then have to beat Bangladesh in their last game on Tuesday in Cape Town in order to tie with two other teams for second place in Group One.
The tie would then be broken by the net run rate.
“We still have one game,” said Luus. “Having to rely on other teams isn’t ideal, but we’re going to give it our all.”
South Africa made 124 for six when they were put in to bat.
Laura Wolvaardt and hard-hitting Tazmin Brits put together 54 runs in nine overs, which the home crowd cheered on.
But after Wolvaardt was caught behind by wicketkeeper Beth Mooney off Ellyse Perry for 19, the team’s score went down. Mooney took over for Alyssa Healy, who was taken out of the game because of a left leg strain.
Marizanne Kapp was caught by Mooney off of Darcie Brown without scoring, and in the next over, leg-spinner Georgia Wareham had Brits out for 45 and Chloe Tryon caught at midwicket off a full toss for a single.
Also read: INDw vs ENGw: England beats India by 11 run, Renuka fifer goes in vain
Short grades:
Australia scored 125-4 in 16.3 overs vs. South Africa’s 124-6 in 20 overs (T. Brits 45; G. Wareham 2-18). (T. McGrath 57; M. Kapp 2-21).
Australia won the game by 6 wickets.
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Australia: Toss
