England Cruise Into World T20 Final

africatodayonline.blogspot.com -

Anya Shrubsole celebrates one of her wickets - 2014 © IDI/Getty Images

Anya Shrubsole celebrates one of her wickets - 2014 © IDI/Getty Images

England Women 102-1 (Taylor 44no) beat

South Africa Women 101 by nine wickets

ICC Women's World T20 2014 semi-final, Mirpur

England beat South Africa by a comprehensive nine-wicket margin in the second semi-final of the ICC Women’s World T20 in Mirpur to set up a final against Australia.

At the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium, they had no trouble overcoming South Africa’s 101 all out, needing only 16.5 overs to score the 102 runs needed for victory, and setting up a rematch of the title clash from the 2012 event.

Chasing 102, openers Sarah Taylor and Charlotte Edwards started strongly and weren’t in any trouble at all against the South Africa bowling.

They were in no hurry to get the below-par total and took runs at will, mixing singles and doubles with the odd boundary. They put on 67 runs for the first wicket, with Edwards falling for 36 runs off 40 balls in the 11th over. She hit five fours during her stay before she offered a simple return catch to bowler Suné Luus (1-15).

Taylor was then joined by Heather Knight and they made sure the rest of the target score was gobbled up without any further losses. They added 35 runs for the second wicket and took England past the finish line in the 17th over.

Taylor was unbeaten on 44 off 45 balls with three fours while Knight scored 21 not out off 16 balls, smacking three boundaries.

Earlier, England won the toss and elected to bowl first. South Africa made a torrid start, losing Lizelle Lee (0), Dane van Niekerk (7) and Yolandi van der Westhuizen (6) with just 14 runs on the board. The dismissals of Trisha Chetty (3) and Marizanne Kapp (0) made it 33 for five in the 10th over.

They were saved only by the efforts of skipper Mignon du Preez, who held one end up as she scored 23 runs off 32 balls, with two fours.

Then Chloe Tryon smacked 40 runs off just 31 balls, hitting three fours and two sixes, even as wickets continued to tumble at the other end. Her burst made it possible for South Africa to reach a three-digit score, although it was nowhere near enough to challenge their opposition.

For England, Anya Shrubsole (2-12), Rebecca Grundy (2-22) and Natalie Sciver (1-19) were the wicket-taking bowlers.

No fewer than five South Africans were run out by a combination of sharp work in the field by England and shambolic running.

© Cricket World 2014