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Australia dominate South Africa in Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup – live | Women’s T20 World Cup 2026
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Key events
I’ve said that net-run-rate will be a factor…
After that, Australia’s is +3.25. South Africa’s is -3.25.
That’s hefty. With only two going through from this group that also includes India, that really could be crucial.
Now Sophie Molineux, Australia’s captain:
We were in trouble at the start. The wayside we bounced back and then climbed over with our bowling.
[Aggressive batting] is the way we want to play. They play their best when they take the game on.
[On Litchfield]. She’s amazing. She’s so skilful. Her game smarts are through the roof now.
I get a lot of hel [with field placings, match-ups[. With captaincy you have to go with your gut. It was a spin-friendly wicket. Sometimes it pays off, today it did.
Laura Wolvaardt understandably is wearing a long face.
Tough day today. I thought we had a decent first half. We lost our way with the bat. They bowled really well and outplayed us today.
I thought they were only a little bit above par. I backed us to go above nines. But lost our way.
It’s awsome to have [Kapp and Ismail] back together. De Klerk and Mlaba bowled well so that’s going well at least.
It was hard to get going. A frustrating innings. I felt they bowled well to me.
It’s nice to stack our line-up so we have power early.
Still a long tournament to go. We’ll put this game behind us as quickly as possible.
The Sky team have identified the Kapp run-out, thanks to Wareham’s arrowing throw from cow corner, as the turning point.
They’re right. South Africa were 81-3 at that stage. They then lost seven wickets for 26 runs in just over five overs.
It was so poor from a side that is much, much better than that.
Georgia Wareham is our player of the match.
Here’s what she has to say:
With our batting line-up you can play with a lot of freedom. I thought [Litchfield] was great the way she took on the new ball.
Depending on the day, we’re versatile [she’s talking about the four spinners]. It’s nice to be a part of that group.
I usually try to get myself out on the boundary so I’ll take that [catch] at extra cover.
South Africa bowled out for 107, Australia win by 65 runs
That is a shellacking! Revenge for their defeat to South Africa in the semi-finals two years ago. They have utterly dominated this one. A combination of aggressive batting despite the loss of wickets, outstanding spin bowling and inept South African batting.
This final wicket goes to Wareham who finishes with three for 13 to go along with a score of 32, a catch and a run-out.
South Africa fail to bat out their overs, falling in the 17th.
WICKET! Tryon c King b Wareham 9 (South Africa 106-9)
So soft! My word, South Africa have just folded here. They’ve lost five wickets in 18 balls for just 10 runs. Are they not bothered by their overall net-run-rate at all? This is a spooned slog straight to KIng – who fumbled but held on – to hand Wareham another wicket.
16th over: South Africa 104-8 (Tryon 7, Khaka 1) It’s all feeling a little drab. So much for the promised clash of titans. There has been a chasm between the sides but credit to Australia and their spinners. Gardner gets through another over and bags a wicket she deserves.
WICKET! Ismail lbw Gardner 2 (South Africa 102-8)
Another one goes! They’re falling like flies. A quicker, flatter, skiddier one from Gardner off a good length has Ismail trapped on her crease, shifting back and trying to work it off her pads. The finger goes up and she reviews, but umpire’s call on impact means she has to make her way off the ground.
15th over: South Africa 101-7 (Tryon 5, Ismail 2) Two in the over for King as South Africa circle the drain. King has been outstanding, miserly, flighty and aggressive with her lengths. She’s a wicket-taker, that’s for sure. Ismail gets off the mark with a couple. South Africa need to make sure they are not bowled out too quickly. If I was coach, I’d send the message out there to bat out their overs and not worry too much about the runs. Just pick up singles and twos.
WICKET! Jafta c Sutherland b King 2 (South Africa 99-7)
Two in the over for King! Phew, their net-run-rate is going to take a battering here. Jafta tries to take on the fielder down at long-on but she was never going to clear her. This is catching practice for Sutherland who pouches it without fuss.
WICKET! Reyneke c&b King 0 (South Africa 97-6)
Oh, how soft is that! Just a regulation leg-spinner that the 20-year-old Reyneke tried to steer into the on-side. She turned her bat too early and a thick leading edge popped up back towards King who completed the simple catch. South Africa are going down in a heap.
14th over: South Africa 96-5 (Tryon 4, Reyneke 0) Well this is becoming a bit of a romp for the Aussies. Apart from that Wolvaardt six down the ground, Molineux is giving nothing away here. She bagged the scalp of her opposite number and conceded just two singles at the top of the set. She closed it out with two dots to Reyneke who can slap it a long way. But the run-rate is now more than two a ball.
WICKET! Wolvaardt c Wareham b Molineux 44 (South Africa 96-5)
Skipper gets skipper! Wolvaardt’s tortured innings comes to an end and with it, South Africa’s bets hope of chasing this down. The ball before showed a glimpse of what she’s capable of as she skipped down the track and unfurled a wonderful six over long-off. Was that her return to some sort of touch? Not quite. The next delivery was well timed but didn’t have the elevation. A diving Wareham at extra cover held on well.
13th over: South Africa 88-4 (Wolvaardt 37, Tryon 3) Another miserly over from spin, this time from King, who has been magnificent. Two dots and just five runs. I wonder if South Africa should count their losses and look to preserve their net run-rate? If they chase what is surely now a highly improbably victory, they could torpedoe their World Cup.
12th over: South Africa 83-4 (Wolvaardt 35, Tryon 0) South Africa’s captain will have to do something special if she is to drag her team to an unlikely win. She just can’t find her timing. She collected two twos before she heave Gardner into the deep on the leg side. If she hit it harder she would have got four. Instead, she called Kapp back for a second and watched on as the run-out was completed at the non-strikers end. That required rate is now 11.47 an over. It’s not over, but we’re getting close.
WICKET! Kapp run-out Wareham 12 (South Africa 82-4)
Kapp is short at the non-striker’s end! Wolvaardt drilled a slog off Gardner towards cow corner and both batters though that was a boundary. But it got held up in the breeze so they set off for a second run having taking the first at a jog. The throw was perfect and the diving Kapp couldn’t make her ground.
11th over: South Africa 77-3 (Wolvaardt 29, Kapp 12) There are two different games taking place. Just five from that Gardner over. Wolvaardt is really struggling against the slower bowling. Wareham is almost inside the South African captain’s mind, pre-empting what she’s about to do, keeping her quiet.
10th over: South Africa 72-3 (Wolvaardt 25, Kapp 11) Wolvaardt might be lacking fluency but Kapp is in the groove. She bookends this Sutherland over with boundaries. One a crunching pull, the other a ping off the back foot. Between that there’s a wide that is brilliantly grabbed bu a leaping Mooney as the over counts for 13. That’s better from the Saffas. Attached halfway, Australia were 79-4.
9th over: South Africa 59-3 (Wolvaardt 22, Kapp 2) The Wolf has been shackled. Australia have prevented her from unfurling her trademark cover drive and now she’s faced 21 balls for just 22 runs. Only two boundaries off her bat and one was a streaky edge. Australia’s spinners – including King who concedes four from her second over – have been brilliant.
8th over: South Africa 55-3 (Wolvaardt 19, Kapp 1) Just seven off that over from Gardner, who might have dropped a gimme on the rope, but is very tidy from her opening set. No boundaries and just a couple of twos for Wolvaardt who needs to find an extra gear now for her country. That required rate is now nudging 10.
WICKET! De Klerk b Wareham 25 (South Africa 48-3)
Against the run of play, Australia strike again! Just as the South Africans were building, Wareham, with her wrist spin, gets on to skid on and beats the innocuous stroke of de Klerk. It was a half prod off the back foot, not really a shot at all, and it hits the top of off. South Africa’s chase is falling apart in the face of miserly Australian spin.
7th over: South Africa 48-3 (Wolvaardt 13)
6th over: South Africa 43-2 (Wolvaardt 12, de Klerk 22) South Africa are ten runs behind Australia at the powerplay. Much of that has to do with Wolvaardt facing a mere 10 deliveries. She registered her first boundary in this over, bowled by Sutherland, with a swatted drive down the ground. Two balls earlier de Klerk scooped fine for four. Nine off that over is an improvement for the Proteas, but they need more.
5th over: South Africa 34-2 (Wolvaardt 8, de Klerk 18) King into the attack and she’s spanked for a six over cow corner by a slog-sweeping de Klerk. Except she should have had a wicket. That six was parried over the rope by Gardner who inexplicably made a mess of what looked like a routine boundary catch. Wolvaardt has only faced seven balls for her eight. Australia have done well to keep her quiet.
4th over: South Africa 22-2 (Wolvaardt 8, de Klerk 9) Wolvaardt gets very lucky as she tries to flick Garth over midwicket. It catches a thick edge which could have gone anywhere. Rather than nestle in the hands of an Aussie it flies over the fielders behind square on the off-side and trickles away from four. They needed that. The asking rate is now over 9.
3rd over: South Africa 16-2 (Wolvaardt 3, de Klerk 8) Wolvaardt has faced three balls and collected three singles. She needs more of the strike. De Klerk is kept quiet by Molineux for four dots but there’s a delivery that is sprayed a little down leg and the big-hitting batter stoops low and sweeps a wonderfully timed slog that clears the boundary. They’ll need more boundaries. This chase is already looking tricky.
2nd over: South Africa 9-2 (Wolvaardt 2, de Klerk 2) Two from two for the Aussies. Dercksen showed her intent with a delicious lofted drive down the ground but she was sent packing the next ball when Garth adjusted her length. de Klerk, promoted up the order, steered her first ball wide of Schutt sweeping the covers. A misfield allowed her to come back for a second.
WICKET! Dercksen b Garth 4 (South Africa 7-2)
Beauty! The ball before was over pitched and Dercksen lofted a lovely drive down the ground for a one bounce four. Garth dragged her length back and got it to skid on. Dercksen didn’t see it coming and had her off stump pegged back via her thigh pad. Australia are on fire!
WICKET! Luus lbw Molineux 1 (South Africa 2-1)
The captain strikes in her first over! Back of a length, skidding off the surface, Luus tries to pull it behind square. She’s too late on it and probably should have tried to hit that straigher. She misses, and just like the Aussies, South Africa are one down in the first over.
1st over: South Africa 2-1 (Wolvaardt 1)
Wolvaardt strides out with Luus alongside her.
Whatever was bothering Luus after that dropped catch is all good now. Maybe she was just embarrassed shelling a goober.
This is such a key partnership (duh, right?). They’ll get going against the Aussie skipper Molineux.
It’ll be a trial by spin for the Saffas. I think this will be beyond them. But who knows? We will soon enough.
Australia post 172-8
If South Africa win this they’ll need to set a new record for a chase in a T20 World Cup.
Such an odd innings. I always felt like Australia were behind the eight ball and yet they’ve gone and posted something pretty hefty.
Despite the regular loss of wickets, Litchfield’s 24-ball 50 and cameos from Perry (36 off 26), Wareham (32 off 22) and Sutherland (21 off 14) kept things ticking.
This final over from De Klerk – who signs off with 2-35 – bagged a wicket but also cost 10 runs, including a well-placed boundary from Carey through a small gap past midwicket.
Is it enough? We’ll find out after a break.
Sune Luus drops a sitter!
She should have held on down at wide long-on, but more crucially she is off the field straight away.
The opening batter requires some medical attention to a finger. How will that impact the chase?
WICKET! King lbw De Klerk 4 (Australia 167-8)
That is plumb! King reviews though I don’t know why. Unless she thought she hit it? It’s struck her on the back foot, right in front of the stumps. A full ball from De Klerk beats her swishing bat across the line and that is as out as out can be.
19th over: Australia 162-7 (Carey 8, King 4) Mlaba closes out with a very tidy 2-22 from her four overs without conceding a boundary. Her final over cost just seven runs. If South Africa chase down their target they’ll thank their leading spinner.
WICKET! Sutherland c De Klerk b Khaka 21 (Australia 155-7)
Khaka wins the battle! After getting walloped for a mighty six down the ground by Sutherland, Khaka holds her nerve. This final ball of the 18th is a little wider and a little fuller which means Sutherland has to reach it and can’t get under it. She makes great contact, but can’t clear De Klerk at mid-off. That’s a sharp catch even though it was straight at her.
18th over: Australia 155-7 (Carey 5)
17th over: Australia 147-6 (Sutherland 14, Carey 4) Ten runs off that over, including four for Sutherland as she clubbed a De Klerk bouncer behind square. It was a strange delivery from De Klerk because when she kept it full she proved difficult to hit.
Ismail has left the field with a knock to her finger. She’ll hope she won’t be needed with the bat.
16th over: Australia 137-6 (Sutherland 6, Carey 2) Mlaba bags the big wicket and concedes just six runs. Australia are still hurtling at more than eight an over despite the regular loss of wickets. So hard to say what a good score would be from here. Mlaba has one more left. That over might be the difference in this game.
WICKET! Perry b Mlaba 36 (Australia 133-6)
Played on! Perry might be the greatest cricketer of all time (IMO) but she was made to look ordinary there. A very, very slow ball from Mlaba is flighted up around a fifth stump line. Perry goes searching for it and loses her shape as she takes an ugly swiper away from her body. All she can do is find an under edge and drag it back onto her stumps. Great bowling from the South African spinner.
15th over: Australia 131-5 (Perry 36, Sutherland 4) Marizanne Kapp to Elysse Perry. Two of the all-time greats going head to head. This round goes to the Aussie who pulls a full toss up and over for four. She didn’t crunch it, but got enough bat on it to take it to the rope. A plinked drive down the ground is very straight so she can come back for two. A well-placed yorker is respected by Perry who just clips it for a single down to deep midwicket. Sutherland closes out Kapp’s spell with a steer for two in front of deep extra cover. Kapp’s figures read 1-28 from her four overs.
14th over: Australia 121-5 (Perry 28, Sutherland 1) A much-needed breakthrough for South Africa as Wareham was getting going. Two boundaries, one lashed through cover and the other scooped down to fine leg, was a sign of how well she was seeing it. She then hammered a drive but couldn’t beat the diving Wolvaardt who plucked a stunner. Sutherland was given out first ball, but survived the review. De Klerk’s part-timers have been more than handy.
She survives! The big noise came after the ball had passed her bat. That was willow on hard pitch, not willow on ball. Sutherland survives the review.
The finger goes up for caught behind! Sutherland reviews. Has she hit the ground or has she edged her first ball?
WICKET! Wareham c Wolvaardt b De Klerk 32 (Australia 120-5)
That’s a stunner from the skipper! South Africa really needed that. Wareham smoked this drive into the covers and it was past Wolvaardt when she stuck out both hands and managed to cling on. That’s her third catch of the innings and her best by a distance. Wareham was just started to climb through the gears having struck two consecutive fours. But she has to go for a handy knock off 22 balls.
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