AUSTRALIA SPINS OUT SOUTH AFRICA TO SET UP A FACILE WIN

ICC 10th WOMEN's WORLD CUP - Match 3 - Australia vs South Africa at Manchester on 13th June 2026. 

Result - Australia beat Scotland by 65 runs

Points - Australia 2(2), South Africa 0(0)

Toss - Australia

Umpires - N Janani, Nimali Perera, Candace La Borde (TV)

Player of the Match – Georgia Wareham

Match Centre Link - You can view the scorecard, watch highlights and engage more at Match Centre of ICC. The match can be accessed here. 

AUSTRALIA INNINGS

POWER PLAY – OF PACE AND PHOEBE
The 3^rd match of the 10th Womens T20 World Cup featured top contenders South Africa and Australia. Australia won the toss and chose to bat. The battle lines were already drawn with South Africa’s deadly pace duo of Marizanne Kapp and Shabnim Ismail against the gutsy Georgia Voll and the chill Beth Mooney. After Beth pushed one to the leg of the first ball, Marizanne bowled a beauty that had Georgia guessing. A couple of dot balls followed & Georgia miscued one which was well pouched by Kayla Reyneke. Shabnim Ismail took over and with score reading 1/1 in 1.1, the match looked very much an even contest as it promised. It was all South Africa in the first three overs courtesy the wily experienced duo of Marizanne & Ismail with edges, missed run outs and a couple of chances. Phoebe edged her luck to a couple of boundaries while showed her class on one. Beth hacked Marizanne to one but drove one away from her body to gift Shabnim Ismail a wicket on return. AUS were 24/2 in 6 & SA were calling the shots before Phoebe decided that she had seen enough. She started the 5^th over bowled by Marizanne with a no look shot. She kept disrupting Marizanne by coming down and in the process garnered a couple of boundaries on either side of the wicket. She was more severe in the 6^th over as she started with a four through covers, a four through backward point and a six over deep square leg. Shabnim & the entire crowd were blown away. Phoebe ensured Australia finished power play at a strong 52/2.

MIDDLE OVERS – AUSSIES SEIZE MOMENTS AND MOMENTUM
Ayabonga Khaka came in to bowl the 7^th over as SA were pressing for more pace. Phoebe scooped the 3^rd ball & swept the 4^th ball for boundaries to bring a 23 ball 50, a marvelous display of counter attack. However Ayabonga had the last laugh as Phoebe was unable to loft her slower one over mid off and skipper Laura Wolvaardt pouched the prize catch. Spin came in the 8^th over and Nonkululeko Mlaaba flighted one to Ashleigh Gardner who drove it straight to cover where Laura grabbed her 2^nd catch in 2 overs. Suddenly AUS at 63/4 in 8 looked more in trouble than in tandem. However they had two cool campaigners in Ellyse Perry and Georgia Wareham. They saw through the next 2 overs of spin from Nonkululeko Mlaaba & Chloe Tryon finding a boundary of a bad balls, leaving the good balls and running for all balls. Australia were 79/4 at half way mark and the first half was evenly poised.

Nadine De Klerk and pace made its way in the 11^th over & Perry’s first big shot could have been a catch at deep mid wicket but Chloe couldn’t hold on to the offering. Ayabonga Khaka’s 12^th over yielded 3 boundaries & 15 runs. Laura switched back to spin but Chloe’s 13^th over went for a couple of boundaries and 12 runs as well. Australia looked all set to up the ante and Georgia confirmed with a couple of boundaries of Nadine de Klerk. Just like Phoebe’s dismissal, Georgia found Laura trying to find the third boundary in succession. It was a great catch by Laura (the best of her three and the best of the tournament so far)as she flashed to her left before the ball could beat her and grabbed it on air. Annabel Sutherland was given caught by the keeper the very next ball before DRS saved her from a golden duck as the bat ball line went flat. Nonkululeko came back in the 16^th over to claim Ellyse who was looking set and dangerous. Ellyse dragged 15.3 to her stumps and Australia were 137/6 going to the death overs with pace all rounders Nicola Carey and Annabel Sutherland on the crease.

DEATH OVERS – FINISH WITHOUT FLOURISH
Nadine bowled the 17^th and Annabel’s boundary and some quick running ensured 10 out of it. Ayabonga began well in the 18^th before misfiring a yorker which was converted into a six by Annabel. Ayabonga had redemption in the last ball where Nadine held another good catch to curtail Annabel’s innings. Nonkululeko, the best bowler by a margin bowled the penultimate over of the innings & her last and kept Nicola Carey and Alana King quiet conceding just 7. Nicola began Nadine’s last ball with a well timed boundary before Nadine struck bag trapping Alana plumb in front. Kim Garth (who is playing a World Cup for Australia after representing Ireland in 2 World Cups) came ahead of her skipper in the team of 11 batters. Nadine was due another wicket when Kim heaved her over the long on where Sune spilled a regulation catch to give Kim a couple. A couple of runs again and a last ball single after DRS turned LBW appeal say Australia finish at 172/8. The South African pace quartet was underwhelming even as spinners held their own. Aussies being Aussies always kept coming back and South Africa had a tough chase in hand.

SOUTH AFRICA INNINGS

POWER PLAY – MIRROR VIEW
If South Africa had four pronged pace attack, Australia had a four pronged spin attack with Sophie Molinieux, Georgia Wareham, Alana King and Ashleigh Gardner. Of course the all round Aussie side had four pace options in Kim Garth, Nicola Carey, Annabel Sutherland and Ellyse Perry. Skipper Sophie Molineux opened the bowling with her left arm spin & kept Sune Luus silent for the first three balls. After a couple of singles, Australia had a wicket in the first over as well when Sophie trapped Sune leg before wicket which SA didn’t review at all. Kim Garth bowled the 2^nd over and after conceding a boundary to Annerie Deckersen in 4^th ball, came back to beat her stumps with pace in the 5^th ball. Nadine De Klerk was promoted and she justified her promotion by heaving Sophie for a six in the 3^rd over. Laura found her first boundary in the last ball of the 4^th over and SA were 22/2 at 4 overs and needed some Phoebe spirit. Nadine & Laura kept finding boundary per over of new bowlers Alana King & Annabel Sutherland as SA finished power play at 43/2. The South African powerplay mirrored the Australian one in some ways. Laura & Nadine needed to bat long and strong to keep the chase going.

MIDDLE OVERS – SPIN IS WIN
Georgia Wareham with tricks up her sleeve kept the batters rather quiet in the first 5 balls of the 7^th over and reaped her reward in the last over when Nadine’s outside edge hit the stumps. Marizanne Kapp joined her skipper and the experienced duo couldn’t find any boundaries of the spin of Ashleigh & Alana. Annabel’s pace in the 10^th over helped Marizanne find a couple of boundaries. At half way mark with the score at 72/3, the match seemed to be tilted slightly in Australia’s favour given that SA batters were unable to find quick runs against the spinners. Georgia slipped one more silent over conceding just 5 in 11^th over. The 12^th over bowled by Ashleigh started with a couple of 2s and while trying to convert the 3^rd into 2, Marizanne was run out at the bowlers end. Alana sneaked in another 5 run over as SA needed to go big at 88/4 in 13. Sophie came back & it turned out to be a battle of skippers. While Laura had the opening honours lofting Sophie over long on for a six in the 3^rd ball, Sophie struck back forcing her to drive to cover where Georgia Wareham took a good catch to dismiss Laura and any hopes for SA’s win. The 15^th over by Alana sealed the match in Australia’s favour as she had the young Kayla Reyneke (return catch on a slow ball) and the campaigned Sinalo Jafta (caught by Annabel on long on). Ash Gardner added more salt to the wounds trapping Shabnim Ismail in front in the 16^th over. South Africa were already at death before the death overs at 104/8 needing 66 from last 4 with just 2 wickets in hand. The six overs of spin from the 10^th over had yielded 5 wickets for Australia and just 32 runs for South Africa. Australia spun their way ahead of the game.

DEATH OVERS – OF ACADEMIC INTEREST
The only interest left in the match seemed to be academic as how long would South Africa last. Georgia Wareham ensured that the match finished quickly as she finished the match due for 4 overs in 4 balls. She had Chloe Tryon hitting one straight to Alana at mid on in the 3^rd ball. A wide later of the legitimate 4^th ball, she had Nonkululeko Mlaaba hitting one straight to Ashleigh. South Africa ended their innings at 107/10 in 16.4 and Australia started their World Cup with a facile 65 run win over South Africa.

Images Courtesy - Cricket Australia and ESPN Cricinfo