Ashleigh van Wyk’s four-wicket haul and Jemma Botha’s attacking 37 off 24 balls powered South Africa to a five-wicket win over Australia in the Women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup semi-final. With this victory, South Africa reached their first-ever final in the tournament’s history.
Batting first in Kuala Lumpur, Australia struggled early. Fast bowler Nthabiseng Nini trapped Ines McKeon lbw on the first ball, while Grace Lyons was run out backing up too far. Captain Lucy Hamilton and Caoimhe Bray tried to stabilize the innings, but South Africa’s disciplined bowling kept them quiet. Kayla Reyneke dismissed Hamilton, and a spin choke followed, keeping Australia without a boundary for 7.3 overs.
Eleanor Larosa and Bray added 27 runs before Seshnie Naidu’s brilliant return catch sent Larosa back. Then, van Wyk took over, dismantling Australia’s lower order with four wickets in three overs. Ella Briscoe’s quick 27* off 17 balls helped Australia reach 105 for 8.
South Africa faced a tough chase against an Australian attack that had restricted every team to under 100 runs in the tournament. But Botha took charge immediately, hitting back-to-back boundaries in the first over. Though Simone Lorens fell early, Botha’s five fours and two sixes propelled South Africa to 50 for 2 in six overs.
Reyneke then anchored the chase, adding 21 runs with Botha and 38 with Karabo Meso. Though she fell with three runs needed, Naidu sealed the win with 11 balls to spare, guiding South Africa into a historic final.
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