Australia stunned in Women’s T20 World Cup semi: ‘Just didn’t show up’

Australia, the roaring favourites to win another women’s T20 World Cup, have been shocked by South Africa in humbling scenes.

Australia's Beth Mooney reacts after her dismissal. (Photo by Giuseppe CACACE / AFP)

Australia has been thumped by eight wickets to suffer the most stunning of exits from the Women’s T20 World Cup in Dubai.

A superb 74 not out from Anneke Bosch fired South Africa into the final as they demolished the defending champions.

Set 135 to win, South Africa reached their target with 16 balls to spare, with Bosch, who struck eight fours and a six in her 48-ball innings, sharing a match-winning partnership of 96 with skipper Laura Wolvaardt (42).

In Sunday’s final, which will be the first not to feature one of Australia or England, the South Africans will face either West Indies or New Zealand who meet in the second semi-final on Friday.

“This is one of the best wins of my cricketing career for sure. A couple of other girls have said it as well,” Wolvaardt said. “That was such an amazing chase. The bowlers are excellent. It’s been a good year for us.”

Anneke Bosch (left) and Chloe Tryon celebrate their win. (Photo by Giuseppe CACACE / AFP)

Australia, who have won six of the previous eight editions, had been the odds-on favourites to win a seventh title in the United Arab Emirates.

However, they had no answer to the South Africans for whom this marked a measure of revenge for defeat by Australia in last year’s final in Cape Town.

Put into bat, Australia, again without their injured captain Alyssa Healy, struggled from the start with the normally fluent Beth Mooney top-scoring with a grafting 44 that included just two fours.

“It’s going to be pretty hard to take,” Australia’s stand-in captain Tahlia McGrath said. “We just didn’t really show up tonight. You can’t afford to do that in tournaments like this.”

McGrath made 27 and Ellyse Perry 31 but the run rate only got moving once Phoebe Litchfield came in to club a rapid 15 from nine balls.

“We were probably a few short with the bat, but I still thought we were in the game if we bowled well enough,” McGrath said.

“We were just slightly off all-round, and came up against a team who executed everything perfectly well.

“In tournament play, you can’t afford to be off the mark at all. It’s disappointing, it’s hard to take, but we’ll get around each other and regroup. There’s still plenty of cricket left on the calendar.”

Australia's Georgia Wareham walks back to the pavilion after her dismissal. (Photo by Giuseppe CACACE / AFP)

Coach Shelley Nitschke said: “It’s going to hurt – it’s going to hurt for a while. But we need to use this, and Phoebs will be no different.

“It’s just about keeping our feet on the ground, and maintaining a perspective and moving forward.”

The South Africans made a brisk start with Tazmin Brits hitting a six and a four before being bowled by Annabel Sutherland for 15.

That brought in Bosch who had endured a mediocre tournament until Thursday with a highest score of 25 against Bangladesh.

She was quickly into her stride, using the slog sweep to great effect as she knocked all of the Australian bowlers apart from Sutherland off their rhythm.

Australia's Beth Mooney reacts after her dismissal. Photo by Giuseppe CACACE / AFP.

She duly posted her third fifty in T20I cricket, going on to make her highest total in the format and the top score in this tournament.

“It was quite tough out there but I’m really glad we could get over the line and that I could finally contribute with some runs,” said Bosch who was named Player of the Match.

“I can’t really describe it but we knew we were capable of it and we had a pretty good tournament so far coming into this game and we were quite confident.”

Wolvaardt, who is now the tournament’s highest run-scorer with 190, fell just short of the finish with Bosch sealing South Africa’s stunning win by smashing Megan Schutt through midwicket.

After winning three consecutive T20 World Cups along with the 2022 ODI title, Australia’s white-ball record finally earnt its first blemish in six years.

They joined second and third-ranked sides India and England in departing as South Africa prepared to face the winner of New Zealand and the West Indies in the final on Sunday.

It was the first time Australia has missed a T20 World Cup final since the inaugural event in 2009.

The women’s side has a six-week break before the home summer kicks off with a three-match ODI series against India beginning on December 5 in Brisbane.

— with AFP