HOSTS SA ENTER MAIDEN FINAL WITH UPSET WIN OVER ENGLAND IN T20 WORLD CUP

CAPE TOWN: Pacers Shabnim Ismail and Ayabonga Khaka shared seven wickets between them as South Africa staged a spectacular fightback to stun England by six runs and enter their maiden Women’s T20 World Cup final here on Friday.

Openers Laura Wolvaardt (53) and Tazmin Britz (68) struck entertaining half-centuries to take South Africa to 164/4 in the second semi-final at Newlands.

The game went down to the wire thanks to the efforts of Ismail (3/27) and Khaka (4/29), who both came up with momentum-changing overs. England, the 2009 champions, ended with 158/8 in 20 overs.

Danielle Wyatt (34) and Sophia Dunkley (28) made a flying start to take England to 53 for no loss in five overs. Star pacer Ismail brought back South Africa in the game with a double strike in the sixth over. Both Dunkley and incoming batter Alice Capsey (0) were caught at midwicket by Britz. The onehanded catch to dismiss Capsey off a short ball stood out among the four catches she took in the game.

With 81 needed off the last 60 balls and eight wickets in hand, England were expected to complete the task before South Africa made a roaring comeback, egged on by a loud home crowd.

Medium-pacer Khaka turned the game on its head by striking thrice in the 18th over, sending back Amy Jones, Sophie Ecclestone and Katherine SciverBrunt.

With 13 needed off the last over, England still had hope with skipper Heather Knight in the middle. Ismail got rid of her to seal a special result for South Africa.

Earlier, South Africa’s star batter Wolvaardt and Britz shared a 96-run stand to lay the groundwork for a competitive total. England’s lead spinner Sophie Ecclestone was the pick of the bowlers taking three wickets for 22 runs in four overs.

164/4 in 20 overs (T Brits 68, L Wolvaardt 53) beat 158/8 in 20 overs (N Sciver-Brunt 40, D Wyatt 34; A Khaka 4/29) by 6 runs.