Favourites gone! Australia stunned at T20 World Cup

Australia’s domination of women’s cricket has been ended sensationally in Dubai after an inspired South Africa hammered them by eight wickets in the semifinal of the T20 World Cup.

After winning the last four World Cups - three in T20 and one at 50 overs - in a fantastic six-year reign, one of sport’s most successful teams were finally downed in merciless fashion by the Proteas in a wholly unexpected one-sided affair on Thursday night.

Anneke Bosch proved their ultimate executioner, the South African No.3 blasting the highest individual score of the tournament, 74 not out off just 48 balls, to make preposterously light work of their target of 135.

“It’s gonna be pretty hard to take. We just didn’t really show up tonight, and can’t afford to do that in tournaments like this,” said Australia’s gloomy stand-in captain Tahlia McGrath, looking for no excuses.

After 15 straight match wins in the tournament stretching back four years and three consecutive T20 World Cup triumphs, Australia, again without injured skipper Alyssa Healy, for once never quite managed to fire after being put in to bat as they fought to muster 5-134 against impressively tight South African bowling.

The ever-reliable Beth Mooney top-scored with 44 off 42 balls but even the masterful opener couldn’t ever really break the shackles, as only a late blitz from Phoebe Litchfield (16no off nine balls) and Ellyse Perry (31 off 23) took the champions to a defendable target.

But South Africa, determined to glean revenge for their T20 final defeat on home soil last year and feeling confident after a couple of white-ball wins in Australia earlier in the year, made the target look a piece of cake with Bosch cracking eight fours and a six in the second-fastest 50 of the tournament.

She was aided by calm skipper Laura Wolvaardt (42 off 37) in a thrilling 96-run second-wicket partnership as the South Africans, never seemingly under pressure at any stage, reached their target on 2-135 with 16 balls remaining.

“Full credit to South Africa, I think they outplayed us tonight. We just weren’t at our best,” said McGrath, who was another who couldn’t find top gear as she struggled to make 27 off 33 balls.

“We’ve had this World Cup in our minds for a very long time now. We worked really hard over the off-season, fine tuning some things and we were really well prepped coming into here, felt like we left no stone unturned just yet.

“But we just didn’t show up on the night.”

The Australian innings had again been anchored by a typically steadfast opening effort from Mooney, who became the fastest woman to 3000 T20I runs during her knock but she looked weary by the time she was expertly run out by bowler Marizanne Kapp, who’s having a cracking tournament.

The loss of dashing opener Healy, who had pulled up with a foot injury while running between wickets during Australia’s group-stage win against Pakistan last week, did feel like a big miss as Australia could garner only 2-35 off the first six overs - their worst powerplay of the tournament.

In the final, the South Africans will take on West Indies or New Zealand, who meet in the other semi-final in Sharjah on Saturday.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission