Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, ENG-W vs SA-W 2nd Semi-Final Match Report, July 02, 2026

England 169 for five (Sciver-Brunt 75, Knight 58) beat South Africa 129 for 8 (Brits 51, Bell 2-28, Dean 2-31) by 40 runs

The England captains current and previous mixed for a 133-run partnership for the fourth wicket off 90 balls to rescue their aspect from a deadly 23 for 3 and arrange a 40-run win. It was the very best partnership for any wicket in a Girls’s T20 World Cup semi-final and the second-highest at this version of the event, incomes them the appropriate to face Australia in Sunday’s title decider at Lord’s.

Sciver-Brunt, again within the aspect after lacking three video games with a recurrence of a calf damage, smashed 75 off 47, and Knight 58 off 47, earlier than an all-round effort by England’s bowlers held South Africa to 129 for 8 in reply to 169 for five, vanquishing the hosts‘ poor file in world semi-finals between them in latest occasions.

Among the many early wickets was the in-form opener, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, who managed simply 12 however England confirmed the enviable batting depth which has lastly gelled this summer time to emerge on prime after dropping to South Africa within the semi-final of final 12 months’s 50-over World Cup and the 2023 T20 version.

Ismail, Kapp win opening gambit

Ismail grew to become the primary lady with 50 wickets at T20 Girls’s World Cups when she struck first ball to take away England opener Amy Jones. Ismail began within the second over of the match with a brief ball which reared from outdoors off stump as Jones leaned again to chop and despatched a forefront straight to Annerie Dercksen at cowl level. Since her half-century towards Sri Lanka on the opening evening of the event, Jones has had a wretched run with the bat, scoring 36 runs throughout her 5 subsequent innings with a highest rating of 17.

Ismail had her second wicket in as many overs when, the ball after Sciver-Brunt survived a hopeful South Africa overview for lbw on a ball that was sliding down leg, she pinned Alice Capsey on the pad plumb in entrance. Whereas Capsey did not name for the DRS, replays confirmed she had obtained a faint inside edge onto the ball. These dismissals bookended essentially the most spectacular second of an enthralling passage of play, when Kapp beat the within fringe of Wyatt-Hodge’s tentative prod and tore out off stump. That left the event’s main run-scorer again within the dugout, and South Africa properly on prime.

Nat’s again

With Kapp bowled out by the top of the seventh over, Sciver-Brunt started choosing off boundaries with ease. She was significantly deft at discovering the rope by way of positive leg. Her scoop off Nadine de Klerk was adopted instantly by a robust punch broad of deep midwicket to carry up her half-century. Changing Sophia Dunkley, who had scored 57, 14 and 49 not out at No. 3 in her absence, Sciver-Brunt made good on a harsh however anticipated choice name to play a pivotal innings. Whereas she dealt largely in fours – 11 in all, together with a monster six into the stands past deep midwicket – Sciver-Brunt confirmed no apparent signal of her damage whereas working between the wickets.

Nat Sciver-Brunt rebuilt England’s innings•ICC by way of Getty Photographs

Knight joined in on the act, advancing to a fuller ball from Nonkululeko Mlaba and clearing cowl earlier than driving Ismail down the bottom to shut in on her fifty, which she introduced up with a robust slog-sweep for six off Ayabonga Khaka. Knight and Sciver-Brunt departed within the area of three balls as Mlaba made the double breakthrough, however they’d carried out sufficient in asking South Africa to submit what would have been the second-highest profitable run chase in T20 Girls’s World Cups.

Wolvaardt struggles when it issues most

After a irritating event, Laura Wolvaardt was as soon as once more starved of the strike within the first three overs. She confronted 4 balls and scored simply two runs however labored her approach to a run-a-ball 13 by the final over of the powerplay. If she thought that was the chance to search out her contact, Sophie Ecclestone, who had not but begun to work her magic with the ball, shortly confirmed her that it wasn’t.

Linsey Smith and Sophie Ecclestone mixed for Laura Wolvaardt’s wicket•PA Pictures/Getty Photographs

Wolvaardt superior down the monitor to attempt to hit Linsey Smith over mid-on however Ecclestone leapt, reached and bent her again to take a pointy overhead catch and finish South Africa’s opening stand on 43. They completed the powerplay with the required run-rate already up at 9 an over, and it could solely develop from there.

Fielders of desires

England have been a lot improved within the area since their fateful 2024 marketing campaign and tonight holding catches proved to be a trademark of their victory. Ecclestone used all of her appreciable top and agility to take away Wolvaardt in a vital breakthrough, then took one other tough probability over her shoulder working again from brief positive leg to take a prime edge from Sune Luus.

Knight and Sciver-Brunt held simple probabilities, together with the wicket of Tazmin Brits for a preventing 51, and whereas Charlie Dean missed an opportunity off Dercksen working again from mid-off and leaping together with her left arm outstretched, it could have been a spectacular effort if it got here off. Wyatt-Hodge’s direct hit from backward level to expire Sinalo Jafta within the penultimate over epitomised England’s good points in confidence and execution within the area at this event.