Proteas Women ‘deserve’ to be in World Cup semi-final

The women qualified with a better net run rate when the Windies beat England in their final Group B match on Tuesday and will now face Australia today for a place in Sunday’s final in Dubai. 

Mlaba is currently the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament, with nine wickets in four matches. 

Historically, Australia has dominated this fixture, winning nine of the ten T20 Internationals between the two sides, including a 19-run victory in the final of last year’s T20 World Cup. 

However, South Africa's sole win against the Aussies in the format came in January this year, a six-wicket victory in Canberra, providing a significant confidence boost heading into this high-stakes encounter.

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The Proteas have also been imperious at the Dubai International Stadium, winning all three of their T20I matches there during the ongoing World Cup. 

Captain Laura Wolvaardt believes this gives her side confidence going into the game. 

"It’s a massive game for us. It brings back memories of facing Australia in the final last year, but a lot has happened since then. Those two wins against them earlier this year give us positive energy, knowing that if we play our best cricket, they are beatable."

For South Africa, the in-form opening partnership between Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits has been crucial, with the duo amassing 237 runs at an average of 79, the highest of any pair in the competition. They are just 63 runs shy of becoming the first pair to score 300+ runs in multiple editions of the tournament.

Australia’s depth remains a key challenge, with Wolvaardt acknowledging their ability to bounce back even after losing wickets:

"Their depth is just incredible, and they’ve gone to (batter) eight and nine quite a few times. Tomorrow, it will be about controlling that run rate as much as we can and matching up smartly against their line-up."

The Windies and New Zealand will square off in the second semifinal in Sharjah tomorrow.