Sune Luus' side first team from South Africa to reach Cricket World Cup final; Proteas have "inspired a nation" but face titanic task to win trophy as they face cricketing juggernaut Australia; watch live on Sky Sports Cricket from 12.30pm on Sunday (1pm first ball)
Sunday 26 February 2023 12:29, UK
Cape Town is the stage for Sunday's Women's T20 World Cup final between the history makers and the red-hot favourites.
For red-hot favourites Australia, this is usual territory. They are into a seventh T20 final and a 14th across all World Cups, having also played in seven 50-over finals.
For history makers South Africa, it is uncharted territory. The Proteas lost their first five semi-finals in World Cups but triumphed at the sixth time of asking with a six-run win over England at Newlands on Friday afternoon to become the first South African side, female or male, to reach a Cricket World Cup final.
Proteas captain Sune Luus said: "I think the goal for us was to inspire a nation and to get women's cricket in South Africa on the map. For women's sport in general in South Africa to be raised and to be on the map as well.
"I think in terms of that we are definitely doing the job. Hopefully the final can just be another stepping stone. There are a lot of good things to come out of this tournament. If people don't take women's cricket seriously by now, then there is no hope.
"We never thought people in our country would stand in long queues to buy tickets for a women's cricket match. It is something special. I hope once this World Cup is finished that will stay the same."
We have always known we have the ability to be in the final, it was just to break the semi-final curse. For us it is to stay calm and focus on what we do best. We need to trust our skills and abilities.
Taking the ultimate step will be a tough ask for South Africa. Of the 13 World Cup finals Australia have played, they have lost just two.
More often than not in these games, they blow their opponents away. England were thumped by eight wickets in the 2018 T20 final in Antigua, India by 85 runs in 2020 at the MCG.
Nasser Hussain has called Australia "probably the best female sporting side there has ever been". Their bulging trophy cabinet backs his point up. Seven 50-over World Cup titles, five T20 triumphs.
But there were signs of fallibility against India in Thursday's semi-final and, if not for Harmanpreet Kaur's unfortunate run out after her bat got stuck in the pitch, it may very well have been India lining up alongside South Africa at Newlands on Sunday.
India needed 41 from 34 balls with six wickets in hand prior to Harmanpreet's exit but that wicket and then Australia doing what Australia do means the usual suspects are in the final.
It's a final they are expected to win and expected to win handsomely. It was only last weekend that they beat South Africa by six wickets in the group stages after liming their opponents to 124-6 and then easing past that total with 21 balls to spare off the back of Tahlia McGrath's unbeaten 57.
Yet, South Africa have the artillery to give Australia a game. Run-scorers and wicket-takers in the XI and what is sure to be a vociferous home-supporting crowd to act as the proverbial 12th woman.
There is pressure on everyone, it is a World Cup final, there are no guarantees. It is about what happens on the day. We are expecting South Africa to come out and play to their full strength. They are riding a wave of emotion as well. We are prepared for that.
The atmosphere will be scorching and South Africa will hope pace bowler Shabnim Ismail is as well, two days after she touched 80mph while bowling at England. If the Proteas are to have a chance, they may need her and Marizanne Kapp to wreak havoc with the new ball.
Kapp caused a bit of carnage in the sides' group meeting, dismissing Beth Mooney and Ellyse Perry cheaply inside the first seven overs as Australia slipped to 40-3 in the chase.
The third prong of South Africa's first-choice seam attack is Ayabonga Khaka. She may not have the speed of Ismail or the snarl of Kapp but accuracy and pace-off variations are staples of her game and she made a match-winning intervention against England with three wickets in the 18th over.
Player of the Match, however, went to Tazmin Brits, largely due to her 68 from 55 balls but also because of four catches, one of which, a one-handed grab to remove Alice Capsey, was a screamer.
With the bat, Brits and opening partner Laura Wolvaardt took their time to get going, scoring just nine from the first three overs, but then accelerated and shared a stand of 96.
Sky Sports pundit Tammy Beaumont said: "South Africa's batters can raise their game for the big occasion. Yes, they may start slow but if it's a good wicket they can score all around the ground. Australia were a little bit frazzled against India, so who knows?"
Sky Sport Cricket's Nasser Hussain added: "I think South Africa have to go toe to toe with Australia. I think the toss is going to be important. Bat first in a final, get a score on the board."
It would be a history-making moment if South Africa were to "frazzle" Australia and win their first World Cup in Cape Town, something that looked a distant dream after they crashed to a three-run defeat to Sri Lanka in the tournament opener at the same venue.
That loss followed the big decision to omit Dane van Niekerk on fitness grounds - the former captain jettisoned after failing to complete a 2km run in a required timeframe.
South Africa had a lot of question marks hanging over them then but not so many now. There's the just one, really.
Can they be the ones to stop this Australian cricketing juggernaut?
They will be the underdogs against a side with a history of delivering in the biggest games. A side containing five of the top eight batters in the Women's T20I rankings in McGrath (No 1), Beth Mooney (No 2), Lanning (No 4), Ashleigh Gardner (No 7) and Alyssa Healy (No 8).
A side with a varied bowling attack of swing, speed and spin. A side whose sole defeat in their last 22 completed T20 internationals, against India, came in a Super Over.
But South Africa were the underdogs against England and we know how that turned out…
Watch the Women's T20 World Cup final between Australia and South Africa live on Sky Sports Cricket on Sunday. Coverage begins at 12.30pm ahead of the first ball at 1pm.
