South Africa created history by securing their maiden berth in the ICC Women’s U19 T20 World Cup final after an impressive five-wicket victory over Australia in the semi-final held in Kuala Lumpur on Friday. The Proteas, led by a brilliant four-wicket haul from Ashleigh van Wyk, restricted Australia to a modest 105/8 before chasing down the target with 11 balls to spare.
Clinical Bowling Sets Up South Africa’s Triumph
Winning the toss and opting to bat first at Bayuemas Oval, Australia struggled to build momentum against South Africa’s disciplined bowling attack. The Proteas got off to a dream start when Nthabiseng Nini dismissed Ines Mckeon with the very first ball of the innings. Van Wyk then tightened the screws in the latter stages of the innings, receiving excellent support from the fielders.
Seshnie Naidu’s sharp reflexes saw her hold onto a tough return catch to dismiss Eleanor Larosa for just seven runs. Luyanda Nzuza also displayed exceptional fielding skills, taking a stunning catch to remove Hasrat Gill as Australia found themselves struggling at 62/5 with just over five overs left.
Despite some late resistance from Caoimhe Bray and Ella Briscoe, who helped push Australia past the 100-run mark, the final total of 105 seemed below par against South Africa’s strong batting line-up.
Confident Chase Seals the Victory
Chloe Ainsworth gave Australia an early breakthrough by clean bowling Simone Lourens in the third over, but Jemma Botha ensured the Proteas kept the scoreboard ticking. Even after losing Fay Cowling and Botha, South Africa remained in control, thanks to a composed partnership between Kayla Reyneke and Karabo Meso.
Although both batters were dismissed before the finish line, Mieke van Voorst and Naidu held their nerves to complete the chase without any further hiccups. Their steady contributions ensured South Africa’s smooth entry into the title clash, where they will face either India or England in the final on Sunday.
With this victory, the Proteas remain unbeaten in the tournament and will now aim to cap off their historic run with a championship triumph.
