England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt made a remarkable comeback from injury to lead her side into the Women’s T20 World Cup final with a 40-run victory over South Africa in the semifinal at The Oval on Thursday.The win sets up a huge clash against unbeaten Australia at a sold-out Lord’s on Sunday, making it the first Women’s T20 World Cup final since 2010 to feature two unbeaten teams.England bowled out 169/5 before reducing South Africa to 129/8 in front of a crowd of 21,128 in the Women’s T20 World Cup semifinal.
Sciver-Brunt and Knight script a record save
Returning after missing England’s last three games with a calf injury, Sciver-Brunt made just seven appearances. England were recently bowled on 23/3 following a fiery opening from Shabnim Ismail and Marizanne Kapp.The England captain combined with former captain Heather Knight to form the biggest partnership in the history of the Women’s T20 World Cup, adding 133 runs for the fourth wicket – the most in a knockout World Cup match.Sciver-Brunt led the way with an impressive 75 off 47 balls, with 50 of his runs coming from the boundary, while Knight set up an innings with 58 made from 47. Their stand surpassed England’s previous World Cup knockout record of 122 against Australia in the 2009 semifinals.“I was nervous,” admitted Sciver-Brunt after the game. “The season is so big that it’s nerve-wracking, and I’ve missed a few games. But as soon as the heat started I was able to get back to game time and just have fun out there. Heather and I, with our experience, put our heads together and got the job done.”Mainnings also noted that Sciver-Brunt equaled the record for most Women’s T20 World Cup appearances with eight, matching New Zealand’s Suzie Bates and Australia’s Beth Mooney.
South Africa is fighting against England while Australia is fighting
South Africa’s decision to withdraw the benefits for the first time as Ismail and Kapp disrupted England’s high interest rate. Ismail also became the first woman to reach 50 wickets in Women’s T20 World Cup history.However, when the new players finished their game, England took full control through the experienced combination of Sciver-Brunt-Knight.Chasing 170, South Africa never recovered after losing captain Laura Wolvaardt, Annerie Dercksen and Kapp cheaply. By the 11th hour, the required pace had risen to over 11 overs, leaving last year’s runners-up with an impossible task.Opener Tazmin Brits fought back with a 45-ball 51 but ran out of help as South Africa finished on 129/8.
England have won the tournament for the first time since 2009
England’s strong bowling proved to be a contributing factor in the match, with Freya Kemp returning the winning figures at 1/11, while all-rounder Sophie Ecclestone took 1/21 and added a double.Unbeaten throughout the tournament, England now head into Sunday’s final with confidence as they prepare to take on world number one Australia at Lord’s. The clash promises a fitting finale between the tournament’s two best sides, with England looking to dethrone the defending champions and claim their first Women’s T20 World Cup title since 2009.