South Africa's Anneke Bosch in action during the Women's Cricket T20 World Cup semi-final match against Australia on Thursday. Picture: REUTERS, Amr Alfiky
The great Nelson Mandela once said “it always seems impossible until it's done”.
Well, Proteas Women did what a lot of people thought would be impossible when they thumped the mighty Australia by eight wickets in their Women’s T20 World Cup semi-final at the Dubai International Stadium on Thursday.
No.3 batter Anneke Bosch produced the innings of a lifetime, as the Proteas chased down Australia’s tricky 135 after solid performance with the ball.
Bosch, who had struggled with the bat going into the match, saved her best ever T20 performance for the grand stage. She hit the winning runs with a trademark swipe to the leg-side, as her 75 not out off just 48 balls steered the team to victory.
Bosch shared a massive 96-run partnership off just 65 balls with captain Laura Wolvaardt, who played another classy knock of 42 runs off 37 balls to break the back of the chase.
🏅Player Of The Match - Anneke Bosch, delivered a stunning 74* off 48 balls in the #T20WorldCup semi-final, leading the Proteas Women to the final! 🏆![CDATA[]]>🌍![CDATA[]]>🏏
— Proteas Women (@ProteasWomenCSA) October 17, 2024
Her brilliance under pressure secured our spot in the championship match. 💪![CDATA[]]>🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦
What we experienced this evening is a work… pic.twitter.com/M7Tv61CaeN
The Australians have been the dominant cricket team in the history of the competition, winning eight out of the 10 T20 World Cups that have been played. The last one came in 2023 when they beat the Proteas by 19 runs at Newlands in Cape Town.
They have also beaten the South Africans in nine out of their 10 T20 meetings. However, the South Africans kept talking about taking inspiration from that one match they won in January this year.
And the South Africans never looked intimidated by the occasion or the opposition. They were on it from the first ball of the match and had the Australians on 18/2 after three overs.
VICTORY for the Proteas Women and through to the FINAL🏆![CDATA[]]>🏏![CDATA[]]>🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦
— Proteas Women (@ProteasWomenCSA) October 17, 2024
What an unforgettable performance as the Proteas Women take down Australia in the #T20WorldCup semi-final by 8 wickets!
With heart, skill, and pure dedication!
We Are #ALWAYSRISING! 💪![CDATA[]]>🔥
FOR ME. FOR HER. FOR THEM.… pic.twitter.com/VatSJzhe1h
However, experienced opener Beth Mooney brought the Aussies back in the game with a top score of 44. The Aussies then went at more than 10 runs an over in the last three overs to post a decent 134/5.
Seamer Ayabonga Khaka was the Proteas’ best bowler, taking 2/24, while Marizanne Kapp (1/24) and Nonkululeko Mlaba (1/31) took one wicket each.
Australia rarely loses when they get a score of 130-plus, but the South Africans came out showing the intent we haven’t seen before in the tournament.
Openers Wolvaardt and Tasmin Brits came out and played positively, before Brits was bowled with the score on 25/1.
Bosch and Wolvaardt then took the game by the scruff of the neck, with the duo taking the game to the much vaunted Australian attack.
Bosch came out and hit the Australians off their lengths. She swept the spinners on both sides of the wicket, while Wolvaardt smashed a few big ones over long-on as well.
Wolvaardt lost her wicket with the Proteas 14 runs short, but Bosch still played her game and led the team to victory with 16 balls to spare.
The impossible became possible. And the Proteas will now take on either the West Indies or New Zealand in Sunday’s final.
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