South Africa’s Ayabonga Khaka walks after dropping her wicket as England gamers have fun in second semi-Ultimate at The Oval, London, Britain – July 2, 2026. — Reuters
England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt led from the entrance on her return from harm with an outstanding 75 in a 40-run Girls’s T20 World Cup semi-final thrashing of South Africa on the Oval on Thursday.
England, despatched in to bat, slumped 23-3 inside 4 overs in entrance to spark fears of one more knockout loss in a showpiece occasion.
However Sciver-Brunt, again after lacking the final three group video games with a calf harm, counter-attacked to the delight of a crowd of over 21,000.
She acquired glorious assist from former skipper Heather Knight (58) as the 2 survivors from the final England aspect to win a significant worldwide trophy — the 2017 50-over World Cup — turned the tide with a fourth-wicket partnership of 133 that took their staff to a complete of 169-5.
Event hosts England will play arch-rivals Australia in Sunday’s last at Lord’s. Either side have received all six of their matches.
A chase of 170 was all the time going to be a tricky activity for South Africa they usually completed properly brief on 129-8.
“I was probably nervous, the occasion gets quite big as well and so that increased the nerves,” mentioned Sciver-Brunt, the participant of the match, on the presentation ceremony. “I missed a few games (with my injury). There was a lot of emotion pre-game.”
‘Received our heads collectively’
She added: “Marizanne Kapp and Shabnim Ismail are world-class opening bowlers who can do some damage. So Heather and I wanted to nullify the threat and make sure we were in and able to capitalise on other bowlers. We used our experience, got out heads together and got the job done.
“We confirmed composure. We may have tried to go tougher earlier and it won’t have labored out, so we had been actually good.”
Kapp took 1-16 in her maximum four overs and Ismail 2-31.
But Ayabonga Khaka’s and Nadine de Klerk’s combined seven wicketless overs cost 79 runs.
South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt said her side had been “outplayed”, adding: “We had been pleased with 170, which we thought was par. They bowled properly, had good plans and we weren’t in a position to step up.”
Earlier, South Africa loved an excellent begin by taking three England wickets inside the primary 4 overs.
Quick bowler Ismail struck along with her first ball, Amy Jones reducing straight to level.
England opener Danni Wyatt-Hodge, whose earlier 5 innings had yielded a event report 282 runs at a stellar common of 94, was bowled for simply 12 by Kapp’s well-disguised slower ball.
England had been three down when Alice Capsey was lbw to Ismail.
However Sciver-Brunt and Knight, England’s 2017 World Cup-winning skipper, revived the innings.
The 33-year-old Sciver Brunt, on her Surrey dwelling floor, accomplished a nice fifty when she whipped De Klerk by way of midwicket for a ninth 4 in 35 balls confronted.
Knight, 35, slog-swept Khaka for an enormous six to go to a 42-ball fifty and Sciver-Brunt additionally cleared the ropes when hoisting de Klerk over midwicket.
Each Sciver-Brunt and Knight fell within the penultimate over to left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba (2-25) however by then the injury had been executed.
South Africa suffered a significant setback of their chase when skipper Wolvaardt was properly caught for 17 by a leaping Sophie Ecclestone at mid-on off spinner Linsey Smith.
The Proteas’ 43-1 was shortly reworked into 49-2 when Annerie Dercksen sliced a slower ball from Freya Kemp to level.
England then captured the important thing wicket of Kapp for simply 5 when the all-rounder, making an attempt to show off-spinner Charlie Dean legside, bought a vanguard and gave a mild catch to an elated Sciver-Brunt at extra-cover.
South Africa opener Tazmin Brits made fifty at higher than a run-a-ball earlier than she fell to Dean.
The Proteas, who defeated England in each the semi-finals of the 2023 version and in final 12 months’s 50-over World Cup, had been now all however crushed at 95-5.
Six-time champions Australia eased into the ultimate with an eight-wicket rout of the West Indies in Tuesday’s first semi-final on the Oval.
