England and Australia faced each other in the second semi-final of the Women’s U19 T20 World Cup at the Senwes Park in Potchefstroom on Friday (January 27).
England won the toss and decided to bat first, but their batting performance was not as strong as they would have liked. The team struggled to put up a good score, only managing 99-10 in 19.5 overs. Alexa Stonehouse was the top scorer for England with 25 runs off 33 balls, while Grace Scrivens added 20 runs off 20 deliveries. However, the England team was not able to put up a big total on the board, which put pressure on their bowlers to defend a modest target.
On the other hand, Australia had a strong bowling performance led by Sianna Ginger, Ella Hayward and Maggie Clark, who all took three wickets each and put the England team on the back foot. It seemed like Australia would be able to chase down the target with ease.
However, the Australian batting performance was not as strong as their bowling, and they fell short of the target, scoring 96-10 in 18.4 overs. Claire Moore (20) and Amy Smith (26) put up a good fight for Australia, but it was not enough to secure the win for them.
Meanwhile, the efforts of Hannah Baker and Grace Scrivens helped England restrict Australia as they took 3 and 2 wickets, respectively. In the end, England emerged victorious by three runs, securing their spot in the final.
Hannah, for her exceptional bowling performance, was adjudged ‘Player of the Match’.
The final match promises to be an exciting one, as both England and India will be fighting for the ultimate prize.
Notably, India defeated New Zealand in the first semi-final and sealed their spot in the final of the inaugural Women’s U19 T20 World Cup.
