Australia had the unenviable task of replicating their impressive semi-final performance against India, and when Meg Lanning won the toss she decided to bat first. She was rewarded with a strong opening stand from Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney, who shared 40 runs for the 1st wicket. Healy was looking dangerous until Marizanne Kapp dismissed her in the 5th over for a 20-ball 18. The Australian captain then came in and played a typically composed innings, top scoring with 39 runs off 36 balls. This put them in prime position to post a daunting total which South Africa ultimately failed to reach and allowed Australia to win their record sixth ICC Women’s T20 World Cup title.
All-rounder Ashleigh Gardner proved to be the star performer for Australia in the last match and her promotion to number three this time around proved to be fruitful yet again. Despite Alyssa Healy’s departure from the crease, Gardner held fort and successfully managed to form a strong partnership with Rachael Haynes. It was these two over numbers 8 and 9 that completely changed the complexion of the game. Nonkoluleko Mlaba conceded 12 runs in her second over while right after in Nadine de Klerk’s over, Gardner smacked two huge sixes, bringing Australia 73 runs off ten overs at a run-a-ball scoring rate.
The Aussies had a slow start to their innings and looked in trouble when Chloe Tryon provided the big breakthrough in the 12th over, snagging Gardner in her attempt for a big score. Grace Harris could not last long either, succumbing to Mlaba’s skillful bowling in just 9 deliveries. The host nation’s bowlers seemed poised for success but were met with resistance from Lanning’s 10-run contribution. Kapp prevented any more damage, taking Lanning out of the equation who left Mooney at the crease with three overs to build up the dwindling scoreline. Undeterred, Mooney responded courageously as she smashed boundaries at will, helping Australia pull ahead and attain a total of 153 at the end of the innings.
The 18th over by Amanda-Jade Wellington produced 12 runs safely and suddenly, the Aussies were looking up. Their captain, Rachel Mooney rose to the occasion yet again with a crucial 74 run unbeaten innings from just 53 deliveries which set Australia on the path to victory. Whatever Ellyse Perry couldn’t achieve with her short stay, was made up by a solitary boundary that added 3 runs to Australia’s total. The final two overs saw a welcome surge of 22 runs being scored as the Aussie batters looked confident in their approach and finished off on a high. At the other end, South Africa had to face stern opposing bowling from Perry, Darcie Brown, Megan Schutt and Gardner that restricted them to merely a total of 13 runs in their first four overs.
In a nail-biting match, where the scoreboard pressure kept on increasing steadily with each over, South Africa’s women cricket team faced many ups and downs. The first wicket fell in the 5th over when star batter Tazmin Brits was dismissed by Brown, leaving opening batter Laura Wolvaardt to shoulder the responsibility of playing the big shots for her team. Despite her best efforts, she did not get much support from other batters like Kapp and captain Sune Luus who were dismissed within 9 overs after scoring 11 and 2 runs respectively. Thankfully, South Africa managed to scrape through due to experienced players like van Niekerk who hit a half-century in the match.
Against all odds, Laura Wolvaardt and Chloe Tryon managed to mount a recovery for their team when it seemed things were looking bleak. Their 55-run partnership on the fourth wicket allowed their hosts to steer back on track, and despite the loss of Wolvaardt in the 17th over, they had accrued enough ground to hold off the opposing team. It was an inspired effort by the pair who showed great commitment towards clawing back into this match against largely gifted opponents.
South Africa’s chance of lifting the trophy was dashed by two quick wickets in the 40th over, after Lizelle Lee had hit an impressive 48-ball 61 including 5 fours and 3 sixes. Mignon du Preez tried to continue the charge with a useful 25 runs off 15 balls, but she was clean bowled by Jess Jonassen. Anneke Bosch followed her shortly after in a unfortunate run-out, leaving South Africa deep in trouble and unable to complete the fightback. It was a shame that South Africa’s chances were so swiftly ended, as Lee had clearly shown what could have been done.
Bowlers Schutt and Gardner’s last two overs in the championship match between Australia and South Africa were incredibly effective, preventing the South African lower-order any chance to play big shots and helping Australia secure their sixth T20 World Cup title. Although they did not take any wickets, South Africa still put up a good fight, scoring 137/6 in the 20 overs that they were allotted. Nonetheless, this is Australia’s third consecutive championship win, and may be yet another step towards an unprecedented fourth consecutive championship title victory by the end of this season. Despite the defeat, South Africa can be proud of their effort as it was their first time qualifying for the final round.
