Key events
Show key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this feature
So, a competitive total in the end for Australia, but a certainly reachable one for South Africa, whose generally smart bowling showed why they’re more merited semi-finalists than England. It’s beautifully set up for the chase that South Africa opted for on winning the toss, having twice beaten Australia chasing earlier this year. Back in a bit. Go nowhere.
Australia 134-5 from 20 overs; South Africa need 135 to win20th over: Australia 134-5 (Perry 31, Litchfield 16*). Khaka bowls the final over and starts it with a magnificent slow yorker – a valuable dot ball. Then another full one that can only be carved away for one by Litchfield, but Perry’s a wily campaigner and she advances to power a straight drive down the ground for four. Two more twos ensue before a wide prolongs the innings. But the last ball is a wicket, Perry connects cleanly swinging towards deep midwicket but this time Brits holds on, and holds on well.
19th over: Australia 124-4 (Perry 23, Litchfield 15). De Klerk gets the penultimate over, from which four singles are followed by a drop from Perry’s high off-drive that Brits spills. That looked pretty regulation. Perry then rubs salt in the wounds with a crisp cover drive for four. One over to go, and this partnership looks useful already.
18th over: Australia 114-4 (Perry 15, Litchfield 13). Mlaba continues to ask questions in her final over, Perry miscuing a drive but still getting two when she wanted four. Litchfield has no such problems, creaming a lofted off-drive for four, and hacking the next, slower ball for four more. Superb batting, which could make all the difference for Australia in these death overs.
17th over: Australia 103-4 (Perry 13, Litchfield 4). Given this pair’s ability against spin, Wolvaardt turns to seam again, and Kapp’s final over. Mooney continues to power this innings, cracking a fierce two, before running herself out. In comes the aggressive Litchfield, who’s off the mark with a firm square drive for four.
Wicket! Mooney run out 44, Australia 99-4A biggie! The opener advances to drive a full toss, sets off for a single that’s not on, Kapp throws down the stumps and an umpire’s review confirms she’s a goner.
16th over: Australia 94-3 (Mooney 42, Perry 10). Mooney cracks Tryon for another one-bounce drive for a single – soon one of these will find a fielder’s hands surely – but not yet. Mooney finds the boundary at last, almost holing out to Kapp at deep midwicket but she can’t quite reach it and it’s four. Tryon ends with figures of 4-0-25-0 and Beth Mooney becomes the quickest woman to 3,000 T20i runs.
15th over: Australia 86-3 (Mooney 36, Perry 8). Perry tries to hit Mlaba over the top but only finds long-off after one bounce as boundaries continue to elude Australia, Mooney doing likewise and cover-driving along the ground for two. She’s got such smart variations of pace and length though, Mlaba, making it harder for batters to pre-execute. Another Mooney slog brings two, before Perry rounds off the over with another swipe towards long-off that bounces between three fielders. They’ll be pleased to have kept the scoreboard ticking during that over but Australia wanted more.
14th over: Australia 78-3 (Mooney 31, Perry 5). Mooney loves a firm pull shot, and essays one with force off Tryon, but the Proteas have women out on the legside boundary to minimise the damage. Perry offers Wolvaardt a half-chance at backward point and she lands awkwardly while trying and failing to reach it. She’s OK though. Tryon then reviews for lbw after striking an advancing Mooney on the pad, but it’s pitched outside leg. Review burned. But SA will be pleased at the level of control they currently have, and just the odd hint of desperation in their opponents.
13th over: Australia 72-3 (Mooney 28, Perry 3). The partnership is ended by clever bowling from Mlaba, bringing to the crease Perry, who’s off the mark with a high drive for two. It’s an over full of variation and challenges, and yields only four, plus an all-important wicket. Brilliant cricket.
Wicket! McGrath c Dercksen b Mlaba 27, Australia 68-3Mlaba does it again, returning to the attack and foxing McGrath with a slower back of a length ball that the Australia captain dollies up to backward point.
12th over: Australia 68-2 (Mooney 27, McGrath 27). The Proteas revert to Seam, and Khaka, but Australia keep the scoreboard whirring, McGrath almost offering De Klerk a chance at mid-off but it drops short and bounces painfully into her shin. The 50 partnership is brought up; its eventual size could be pivotal to the outcome.
11th over: Australia 62-2 (Mooney 25, McGrath 23). The cameras pan over, as they oftendo, to Dubai rush-hour traffic, prompting me to mull over geopolitics and working conditions (I’m proper fun at parties, me). Out in the middle, Mooney continues to look Australia’s most comfortable batter, playing balls on their merits and looking to score. McGrath needs to match that, and now she does with a belted four off a short Luus delivery that races to the deep point boundary. Just a sign of shackles coming off there. SA need a wicket.
10th over: Australia 53-2 (Mooney 21, McGrath 18). At last, Australia release some pressure, Mooney advancing to Tryon and lofting a drive down the ground for four. Australia pass 50, their slowest first 50 of the tournament, but it’s still their most profitable over since the end of the powerplay. At the halfway stage, South Africa will be fractionally happier. They’ve bowled very well.
Drinks.
9th over: Australia 44-2 (Mooney 15, McGrath 15). All spin now as Luus comes on early (for her), and nearly induces McGrath to play on with a miscued slogsweep. Australia continue to struggle to cut loose, but South Africa could do with a wicket to reward their economy. You don’t want to leave these two batters out there too long.
Beth Mooney and Tahlia McGrath notching up the runs. Photograph: Altaf Qadri/AP8th over: Australia 42-2 (Mooney 14, McGrath 14). Some different left-arm spin now, from Chloe Tryon. McGrath is itching to take her on but her middle/leg-stump line stifles such notions. Tryon also bamboozles McGrath with a beauty full of turn and bounce that rips past her outside edge, reading and foiling the batter’s intentions. Excellent stuff.
7th over: Australia 39-2 (Mooney 13, McGrath 12). Nadine de Klerk is introduced, keeper standing up. The batters deal in ones and twos in a tight over. Nicely poised this, at the moment.
6th over: Australia 35-2 (Mooney 10, McGrath 11). Spin now, and the in-form Mlaba gets the final over of the powerplay. Her first ball is an unpunished half-tracker, but her third is cracked to the extra cover boundary by the Australia captain for four. Mlabab responds by tucking her up a bit more, inducing a risky swivel-pull that almost finds the fielder at square leg but McGrath hammers the final ball of the power play square on the off for four. Australia’s most promising over thus far, led by the skipper.
5th over: Australia 27-2 (Mooney 10, McGrath 3). Better from Mooney, who straight drives Kapp breezily down the ground for two. I was about to say this is good measured stuff from Australia before Mooney miscues a drive that almost finds the hand of the fielder at point. It’s another fine over from Kapp all told – she likes this ground. One over of the powerplay left for Australia to find those gaps.
4th over: Australia 23-2 (Mooney 7, McGrath 2). Mooney and the captain, McGrath, get a single each as Khaka continues and the Proteas quicks continue to apply powerplay pressure, but this pair do a decent job of at least keeping the scoreboard moving and the strike rotating.
Wicket! Wareham c Jafta b Kapp 5, Australia 18-23rd over: Australia 18-2 (Mooney 4). Mooney seizes her first chance to be expansive, square-driving firmly to the long boundary for three off Kapp. The first boundary off the bat comes via a free hit Kapp presents to Georgia Wareham who swipes to the deep midwicket boundary for four. But other than that Kapp is finding a good testing length that keeps the batter honest, and then beats Wareham with an outswinger that prompts a rejected appeal for a catch behind, which is reviewed. And rightly so. Wareham’s gone, there was an edge. This is excellent from South Africa.
2nd over: Australia 10-1 (Mooney 1, Wareham 1). Seam at both ends, and it works. Khaka dismissing Harris with her first delivery. Australia punt Wareham up the order, who gets off the mark with a single. There’s definite swing in the air, and Mooney is watchful against a bowler who’s had success against left-handers in this tournament. This is, in this very early stage, a promising start for the Proteas.
Wicket! Harris c Bosch by Khaka 3, Australia 7-1Khaka strikes with her first ball, Harris cutting low to backward point and Bosch scooping up a fine catch.
1st over: Australia 7-0 (Harris 3 Mooney 0). Seam up first with the mighty Marizanne Kapp taking the new ball in the dusky light, and she beats Harris with an away-swinger straight away. This is why they back their bowlers to go first. Harris responds by moving in front of off and gets Australia on the board with a dinky little ramp to fine leg for two. A single (despite Harris wanting to come back for a second) is followed by four byes as what looked like an inside edge zips through Jafta’s fingers behind the stumps.
Grace Harris flicks one over her shoulder. Photograph: Altaf Qadri/APA rather gorgeous sunset is visible on the skyline as the teams stride out for the anthems, amid the usual fireworky shenanigans. And the anthems ring out in fairly operatic style. Let’s go …
Alyssa Healy “continues to be assessed daily”, according to the Australia camp, so could return for any final appearance.
Those teams in fullAustralia: Grace Harris, Beth Mooney †, Tahlia McGrath (c), Ellyse Perry, Ashleigh Gardner, Phoebe Litchfield, Georgia Wareham, Annabel Sutherland, Sophie Molineux, Megan Schutt, Darcie Brown
South Africa: Laura Wolvaardt (c), Tazmin Brits, Anneke Bosch, Marizanne Kapp, Chloe Tryon, Sune Luus, Annerie Dercksen, Nadine de Klerk, Sinalo Jafta †, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Ayabonga Khaka
South Africa win the toss and bowlLaura Wolvaardt fancies a chase and doesn’t hesitate to field first when the coin lands the right side up. South Africa field an unchanged side. “Hopefully we can catch them off guard,” she says. Tahlia McGrath is happy enough to bat first, get to 160-170 and apply some scoreboard pressure. The Aussie captain confirms Healy’s absence as they too go with the same XI that played India in their last game.
Earlier in the week, before West Indies’ spectacular display against England, Raf Nicholson wrote an insightful summary of what we’ve learned from the tournament so far. Tuck in while we wait for the toss:
Is the UAE the spinner’s paradise we were all led to believe? Five of the top 10 leading wicket-takers in the tournament so far are seamers – including Australia’s Megan Schutt (eight wickets) and Annabel Sutherland (seven). When Australia v India came down to the wire on Sunday, with India needing 14 runs from the final over, it was Sutherland who the stand-in captain Tahlia McGrath turned to. The all-rounder was the embodiment of composure, giving away only five runs (while taking two wickets) as Australia held firm.
PreambleAfternoon/evening/(very early) morning everyone. Welcome to the latest episode in what consensus has it is Australia’s procession to another World T20 title. South Africa stand in their way today, having put together some commanding wins in the group stage, bar their fairly convincing defeat by England. But Heather Knight’s increasingly brittle side messed up at the last and have gone home.
All of which leaves the Proteas as probably the second strongest of the semi-finalists, with their leading talents – such as Laura Woolvaardt and Tamzin Brits with the bat, the effective left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba with the ball and the always dangerous all-rounder Marizanne Kapp – all in decent nick, they should pose Australia their biggest challenge of the tournament so far.
For the holders have been formidable, twice bowling opponents out in under 20 overs and even in their narrowest win, over India, they never lost control. There’s match-winners everywhere you look down their line-up, even when key players are injured. One such, Alyssa Healy, was still doubtful overnight having picked up a foot injury against Pakistan but the Australia camp say they want to give her as much time as possible to declare herself fit to play in Dubai today. And the fact that Dubai, the best of the surfaces used in the tournament, is today’s venue gives us hope for some decent scoring rates in what has been a low-scoring competition.
These sides met in the final of the last World T20, of course, where home advantage didn’t count for enough for South Africa, and Australia carved out a 19-run victory, because that’s what they do.
We’ll be under way at 3pm BST/6pm local time/1am AET. Stick around.