Eng book final date with Oz
With a clinical display in the second semifinal England confirmed their place opposite archrivals Australia for the April 6 final of the Women's World Twenty20 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur yesterday. The nine-wicket win over South Africa showed why England and Australia are a cut above in the women's game as Sarah Taylor and skipper Charlotte Edwards capitalised on Anya Shrubsole's superb swing bowling to chase down a modest 101 with 19 balls to spare.
In humid and cloudy conditions, Taylor started confidently by hitting a four in the first over bowled by a bustling Shabnim Ismail while Edwards played out a maiden from the other end. From there the two batted comfortably, presenting a straight bat to the straight deliveries while choosing their moments to attack. There was the employment of the typically T20 scoop shot from Edwards in the third over bowled by Marizanne Kapp. The opening partnership realised a run-a-ball 67 before Edwards was caught and bowled by leg-spinner Sune Luus.
Heather Knight and Taylor, who finished unbeaten on 44 off 45 balls with three fours, then finished off the chase without fuss and took England to their third Women's World Twenty20 final.
Earlier, South Africa were reminded of the gulf of difference between the sides in the very first over after being asked to bat. Pacer Shrubsole, the highest wicket-taker in the tournament with the best average and economy rate, found the gloom overhead to her liking and with seam positioned perfectly swung the third ball in sharply to take the middle stump of opener Lizelle Lee. She repeated the dose exactly two overs later; this time the gap was between Trisha Chetty's bat and pad and the result the same.
Left-arm spinner Rebecca Grundy trapped Yolandi van der Westhuizen in front to reduce South Africa to 14 for three in 3.4 overs. The English bowlers' discipline and skill made it seem for a while that South Africa would end their 20 overs for a score well below 100. Shrubsole finished her quota of four overs at a stretch for excellent figures of two for 12, a spell that included 17 dot balls. Opener Dane van Niekerk and skipper Mignon du Preez edged the score to 32 but in the first ball of the 10th over van Niekerk became the first of five run-outs inflicted by an efficient fielding unit.
Marizanne Kapp then suffered the same fate in the same over. A 22-run partnership between du Preez and Chloe Tryon ended when the former was caught off Grundy in the 14th over for a 32-ball 23. Tryon then took over, taking the attack to the English as wickets tumbled around her. With a 31-ball 40 which included three fours and two sixes, she carried the score to 99 when she was ninth out, bowled by medium-pacer Natalie Sciver in the 20th over. Three balls later the South African resistance ended when Moseline Daniels became the fifth run-out victim with the score on 101, a recovery of sorts but not nearly enough to challenge the English.
SCORES IN BRIEF
SOUTH AFRICA: 101 all out in 19.5 overs (Tryon 40, Du Preez 23; Shrubsole 2-12, Grundy 2-22)
ENGLAND: 102 for 1 in 16.5 overs (Taylor 44 not out, Edwards 36; Luus 1-15)
Result: England won by nine wickets.
Player-of-the-match: Anya Shrubsole (England)
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