After two-and-a-half weeks of compelling cricket, Australia and South Africa will take the field at Newlands in Cape Town to play for the Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 title on Sunday.While hosts South Africa have made it to their first-ever T20 World Cup final, defending champions Australia will make their seventh successive appearance in the match to decide the competition.
Historically, Australia have an overwhelming advantage over South Africa in the format, having beaten the Proteas in all of their previous six T20I engagements. Their last encounter was a group-stage match in this tournament, which Australia won by six wickets. However, South Africa have put in two compelling performances since that loss. They beat Bangladesh by a comprehensive margin of 10 wickets to make it to the semi-finals, and then went on to upend a strong England side in the semis by six runs.Both sides have enough talent in their camps to make the final a riveting clash. Let’s look at the key battles to watch out for during the contest.
South Africa’s top-three batters
South Africa’s top-order has managed to give them strong starts in their last two matches. In their final group game, the Proteas openers remained unbeaten chasing the Bangladesh target, winning by 10 wickets. Against England, their top three helped them to a strong 142/2 in 17.5 overs which eventually led to a match-winning total of 164/4.
Nonkululeko Mlaba vs Meg Lanning
The Aussie skipper has been the backbone of her side’s batting effort. She scored a crucial 49* in her team’s win over India in the semis.Her only failure in the tournament came against the Proteas when she fell to Nonkululeko Mlaba for just one. Mlaba has been disciplined with the ball (economy rate of 6.36) and has worked well for the Proteas as a new ball bowler.
Enigmatic in the field
Runs saved and chances taken have proven to be the deciding factor in close contests. Brits’ effort to dismiss Capsey in the Powerplay helped the hosts gain control, while the Australians showed their collective sharpness, epitomised by Ellyse Perry diving around in the deep.With both sides displaying excellence in the field, the final will come down to which side is able to be sharp in the field.
Australia’s death bowling
One of the standout features for Australia in the tournament has been their bowling at the death. Australia’s bowlers have been stupendous between overs 17-20. In the all-important semi-final against India, they gave 32/2 to leave their opponents five short of the total. Australia’s death bowling has ensured that their opponents don’t capitalize from advantageous positions.
The ‘Khaka’ factor
Ayabonga Khaka has been excellent for the hosts. She has picked seven wickets at an average of 11.42 and was of great impact in the semi-final, derailing England’s chase with her 4/29. Australia have played Khaka only twice before, though didn’t face her in the group stages, and the medium pacer could prove to be a bit of a surprise factor for the defending champions.
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