By Ian Omoro
Australia will start as clear favorites as they play South Africa in the semi-final of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup in Dubai on Thursday in their pursuit of a record eighth final appearance. In all nine of the international T20 tournament's editions hosted since 2009 in England, Australia has advanced to the semi-finals. In what appears to be a rematch of the top matchup from the 2023 edition in South Africa, which the Southern Stars won by 19 runs, the six-time champions square off against the Proteas women in a last-four match.
Based only on statistics, Australia has won nine of the ten World Twenty Twenty International (WT20I) matches; South Africa has only won once, in January of this year.
Australia has won all seven meetings between the two teams, making their head-to-head record at the Women's T20 World Cup even more daunting. The nucleus of the current Australian side, which has been together for years despite Meg Lanning's retirement from international cricket, is what makes them the greatest.
With players like Alyssa Healy, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, and Ashleigh Gardner serving as the team's cornerstones, all ten players who participated in the 2023 championship are present.
Australia's greatest asset has been their depth in the batting order on a slow Dubai ground, as Phoebe Litchfield and Annabel Sutherland can force balls to the boundary. One of the most valuable players for South Africa has been the slow left-arm orthodox Nonkululeko Mlaba, who has taken ten wickets in four group league games so far.
In the group stage, the South African squad won three games and lost one to England. But, with new challenges ahead, the team will be eager to get back on the field and compete for the final spot. Hopefully, the Proteas women will be eighth time lucky against familiar adversaries in their quest for the first global T20 crown.
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