Australia v South Africa semi-final: All you need to know

Match Facts

Who: Australia v South Africa

When: Thursday October 17, 6pm local time (Coin toss at October 18 at 12.30am AEDT, first ball at 1am AEDT)

Where: Dubai International Cricket Stadium, United Arab Emirates

How to watch: Amazon Prime Video

Officials:  TBC

Live scores: First semi-final, Australia v South Africa 

How to watch

The new era for watching World Cup cricket in Australia continues.

All 23 matches of the tournament will be shown live on Amazon's Prime Video online subscription streaming service after the internet giant recently acquired the Aussie broadcast rights for all ICC events for the next four years. There is no free-to-air Australian broadcast of this World Cup as a result.

You can sign up to Prime Video by clicking here.

How to recap

If you can't catch the match live, you can catch on demand highlights packages on Prime Video.

The rest of the information you need will be right here on cricket.com.au: scores, recaps, interviews and highlights will all review what took place and keep you informed on the key takeaways. 

The squads

Australia: Alyssa Healy (c), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Ash Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Heather Graham, Georgia Wareham

Players used: 13

South Africa: Laura Wolvaardt (c), Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Mieke de Ridder, Ayanda Hlubi, Sinalo Jafta, Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Suné Luus, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Seshnie Naidu, Tumi Sekhukhune, Chloé Tryon. Travelling Reserve: Miané Smit

Players used: 11

Possible starting XIs

Australia: Beth Mooney (wk), Grace Harris, Ellyse Perry, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath (c), Ashleigh Gardner, Georgia Wareham, Annabel Sutherland, Sophie Molineux, Megan Schutt, Darcie Brown

* If Alyssa Healy is unfit

Australia have not put a line through Alyssa Healy as yet, but she missed the game against India and arrived at the match on crutches and wearing a moon boot. Healy did not take part in Tuesday's optional training session, but the Aussies will have another hit out on Wednesday night. If she misses again, expect Grace Harris to remain at the top of the order. Darcie Brown played against India and it is likely she would retain her spot for a game in Dubai.

South Africa: Laura Wolvaardt (c), Tazmin Brits, Anneke Bosch, Marizanne Kapp, Sune Luus, Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Nonkululeko Mlaba, Ayabonga Khaka

South Africa are a very settled outfit, having fielded the same XI in all four matches this tournament. Three of those four games were played at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, and it seems unlikely they would mess with a winning formula for the semi-final.

Local knowledge

This will be Australia's second game for this tournament at Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Safe to say the venue did not leave a favourable impression first time around against Pakistan, when Healy and Tayla Vlaeminck suffered injuries.

South Africa should be feeling happily at home at the ground, with each of their three group stage wins coming at the venue.

Key battles

Beth Mooney v Marizanne Kapp

Marizanne Kapp has been dominant in the Powerplay this tournament: from 10 overs bowled at that stage of the game, she has delivered 46 dot balls.  

Beth Mooney averages 63.75 in T20 World Cup knockout matches, and if Alyssa Healy does miss, Australia will need 'Ms Consistent' to fire more than ever. 

Megan Schutt v South Africa's openers 

Much like Kapp, Megan Schutt has been a force to be reckoned with this tournament, taking eight wickets at 5.87 with an economy rate of 3.27 - and the bulk of that work has been done in the Powerplay.   

Meanwhile, South African openers Tazmin Brits and Laura Wolvaardt sit first and fourth respectively on the runs tally and have so far been the tournament's most productive pair. 

Their battle against the in-form Schutt will be one to watch carefully, particularly given how well Wolvaardt knows her Adelaide Strikers teammate.  

Road to the semi-finals

Past 10 T20 matches, most recent first. W: win, L: loss, N: no result 

Australia: WWWWWWWWWW

Australia completed an undefeated group stage when they held on for a thrilling nine-run win over India last Sunday. Prior to the tournament, they swept series against Bangladesh and New Zealand, and are on an 11-game winning streak in T20Is. The last team to beat them, however? South Africa.

South Africa: WWLWWLWLNRW

South Africa's only loss of the group stage was against England, in Sharjah. Prior to their arrival in the UAE, they claimed a 2-1 T20I series win over Pakistan and drew a series 1-1- against India.  

Best T20 World Cup result

Australia: Champions (2010, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2020, 2023)

South Africa: Runners-up (2023)

ICC T20I Rankings

Australia: 1st; South Africa: 5th 

Last time they met

Australia hosted South Africa in a historic first multi-format series between the teams earlier this year. The T20I leg was taken out by Australia 2-1, with the Proteas claiming their first ever win over Australia in any format in the second T20I in Canberra.

It was a closely fought series. In the opener, Australia chased down the Proteas' 6-147 with five balls remaining, thanks to Beth Mooney's 72no. Laura Wolvaardt was the hero of the second game, hitting 58no as South Africa chased Australia's 6-142 with an over to spare.

In the decider, Kapp's 75 was instrumental in helping South Africa post 7-162 in Hobart, but Mooney's 82 saw the Aussies reel it in with four balls remaining.

Head-to-head

Played: 10

 

Australia wins: 9

 

South Africa wins: 1

It seems unlikely… but what if it rains?

The good news is there is currently no rain forecast for Dubai, which has consistently produced temperatures in the high 30s Celsius since the tournament started. But in the very unlikely event of wet weather, there are provisions for a reserve day in the ICC's tournament playing conditions. A minimum 10 overs a side are required to constitute a match in the semi-finals – if that isn't possible, Australia would progress after finishing top of Group A.

And what happens if it's a tie? 

If the final is tied, the teams shall compete in a Super Over. And if the Super Over is a tie, subsequent Super Overs will be played until a winner is determined.

If weather conditions or other circumstances prevent the Super Over from being completed on the scheduled day or reserve day, Australia would progress after finishing top of Group A.

Rapid stats

• Australia have reached the semi-finals of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup in all nine editions, failing to make the final only in 2009 when they lost to England by eight wickets.
• This will be South Africa's fourth semi-finals appearance at this stage of the tournament (also in 2023, 2020 and 2014) with them progressing to the final once in 2023.
  
  
• Australia have won 14 of their 16 women's T20Is in 2024, including each of the last 11 on the bounce; a win against South Africa will see them level their highest tally of wins in the format in a single calendar year (15 in both 2014 and 2018).
  
  
• South Africa have won all three women's T20Is that they have played at Dubai International Cricket Stadium this tournament.
  
  
• Australia and South Africa bowlers have logged a bowling economy of 4.3 and 4.4 respectively during the powerplay overs in ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024, the highest and second highest of all teams in the competition.
  
  
• Nonkululeko Mlaba (9) is one away from becoming the first South Africa bowler to take 10 wickets in a women's T20 World Cup tournament; Mlaba (47) is also three away from becoming just the sixth South Africa bowler to reach 50 wickets in women's T20Is.
  
  
• Beth Mooney (2,958 runs) is 42 away from becoming the third batter to score 3,000 runs for Australia in women's T20Is (Meg Lanning – 3,405 runs; Alyssa Healy – 3,054 runs); if Mooney reaches the milestone in her next innings (100th*), she will become the fastest player to do so (Stafanie Taylor – 103 innings).
  
  
• The South Africa duo of Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits has scored 237 runs this tournament, the highest of any pair in the competition, doing so at an average of 79.

Where to next?

The final! The winner of Thursday's first semi-final will meet either West Indies or New Zealand in Sunday's final (1am Monday AEDT) at Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

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

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