A cheer went up from the South African side of the nets when news filtered through they had qualified for the semis and would face the team they were, in that moment, training right next to
Locked in: Aussies to meet Proteas in final replay
As the T20 World Cup semi-final matchups were being decided at Dubai International Stadium on Tuesday night, two interested parties were keeping a close eye on the scorecard just five minutes down the road.
Australia and South Africa were training side by side at the ICC Academy – albeit with markedly different levels of anxiety – before the West Indies sensationally knocked England out of the tournament.
The Australian group knew they would feature in Thursday’s first semi-final, it was simply a matter of who they would play.
South Africa, meanwhile, understood there was still a chance they could miss out altogether.
It had been a long wait for the Proteas, who completed their fourth and final Group B match against Bangladesh on Saturday – and at that point, England had only played two games.
When news filtered through at the innings break that were was no longer a net run rate scenario that could eliminate South Africa, a cheer went up from the training nets.
It also locked in a replay of the 2023 T20 World Cup final: Australia v South Africa.
"I think they're very composed side, very clever," Australia’s Grace Harris said of South Africa on Tuesday.
"They've got some really genuine match winners, but I think one person you've got to watch out for is obviously Marizanne Kapp.
"She's a big-game player, and it's a big game if we come up against them in a semi-final … so I'll be doing my research."
Australia will go into the semi-final undefeated in this tournament, and on an 11-game winning streak in T20Is.
But they have only played one game in Dubai at this tournament, whereas South Africa have played three.
That one game offered Australia’s batting line-up minimal experience in the middle, as they chased Pakistan’s 82 all out with nine wickets in hand.
The Proteas will also go in with greater confidence than in last year’s T20 World Cup final, having finally broken through for their first wins over Australia in the T20I and ODI formats earlier this year.
They have also played the same XI in every game so far this tournament, while an injury cloud continues to hang over Australia captain Alyssa Healy, who was not among the group that trained on Tuesday evening.
However, Harris said she believed Australia’s depth would stand up to the challenge, after they drew deep under Tahlia McGrath’s leadership to defeat India in Sunday’s thrilling final group match.
"I think in tournament play, it is critical to have that composure within a full 15-player squad, because often it does take 15 to win you a tournament," she said.
"We pride ourselves on how we can stay present and in the moment, and how we can stay composed when we are challenged."
2024 ICC Women's T20 World Cup
Australia's Group A fixtures
October 5: beat Sri Lanka by six wickets
October 8: beat New Zealand by 60 runs
October 11: beat Pakistan by nine wickets
October 13: beat India by nine runs
Finals
October 17: Semi-final 1: Australia v South Africa, Dubai International Cricket Stadium, 1am Oct 18 AEDT
October 18: Semi-final 2: West Indies v New Zealand, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, 1am Oct 19 AEDT
October 20: Final, Dubai International Cricket Stadium, 1am Oct 21 AEDT
For the full list of fixtures click here. All matches live and exclusive on Prime Video. Sign up here for a 30-day free trial