Australia’s formidable leg-spinner, Alana King, delivered an absolutely mesmerising performance, spearheading her team to a dominant seven-wicket victory over South Africa. This commanding win ensures the defending champions finish the Women’s World Cup league stage at the very top of the table after their match in Indore on Saturday.
This stellar result means Australia will now face hosts India in the highly anticipated semifinals set for Thursday in Navi Mumbai. Even if India secures a victory against Bangladesh in their final league game on Sunday, they cannot climb higher than fourth place.
King’s exceptional artistry was on full display at the Holkar Stadium. The cunning leg-spinner ripped through South Africa’s batting lineup, claiming an incredible maiden seven-wicket haul for just 18 runs in her 7 overs. Her phenomenal spell bundled out the Proteas for a meager 97 runs in a mere 24 overs.
The Australian batters then made quick work of the chase, comfortably overhauling the target with a staggering 199 balls to spare, showcasing their depth and power.
King’s masterclass in control and guile highlighted precisely why she is considered one of the most skillful wrist-spinners in modern cricket. Her career-best figures in Women’s One-Day Internationals (WODIs) not only mark the best-ever bowling performance by an Australian in WODIs but also stand as the finest individual bowling display ever seen in a Women’s World Cup match.
Initially, Australia experienced a brief wobble during their chase of the modest total. Openers Phoebe Litchfield (5) and seasoned veteran Ellyse Perry (0) departed early, giving the South African bowlers a glimmer of hope. However, with such a small target, Beth Mooney (42) and Georgia Voll (38 not out) quickly steadied the innings, building a crucial 76-run partnership that secured Australia’s unbeaten streak in the tournament.
Earlier in the day, Alana King’s remarkable haul included some of South Africa’s key players: Sune Luus, Annerie Dercksen, Marizanne Kapp, Chloe Tryon, and Nadine de Klerk. She single-handedly dismantled the South African batting order, with her seven overs also featuring two maidens.
In a crucial clash that would determine the league leader, South Africa’s dangerous Laura Wolvaardt initially looked in superb form, smashing seven boundaries in the first six overs. She capitalized on Megan Schutt’s inconsistent lines, hitting four boundaries in a single over—three elegant off-side drives and one fortunate edge past the keeper.
However, Wolvaardt’s fluent innings was cut short when she mistimed a shot off Schutt, with King demonstrating her athleticism to complete a sharp diving catch at short mid-wicket. Shortly thereafter, Tazmin Brits’ laborious six runs from 19 balls ended at the hands of Kim Garth, leaving South Africa struggling.
From that point, it truly became the “Alana King Show.” Sune Luus was her first victim, attempting an ambitious heave only to offer a simple catch to Annabel Sutherland at mid-on. Just four deliveries later, King cleverly lured Marizanne Kapp into a false shot with a tempting delivery wide outside off. The all-rounder misjudged the flight, picking out Garth behind square, which further compounded the Proteas’ woes, leaving them at a precarious 43 for 4.
Sinalo Jafta (29) bravely tried to inject some momentum, striking three boundaries off Annabel Sutherland in the 15th over. Yet, King’s magical spell was far from finished. She struck twice in rapid succession in the 16th over, first dislodging Annerie Dercksen’s off stump, and then having Chloe Tryon caught by Ashleigh Gardner at mid-wicket for a golden duck.
Jafta, alongside Nadine de Klerk, continued to offer some resistance, finding five boundaries in a brief counterattack. However, her defiance concluded when King’s precise delivery breached her defense, uprooting her off stump and leaving South Africa’s innings in utter disarray.
To cap off her historic performance, King delivered a magnificent leg-break that utterly shattered Masabata Klaas’s off stump.