Sport

‘Belief’ guides Proteas to final as Bosch’s coming-of-age knock helps thrash generational Aussies

South Africa players celebrate their team's win over Australia during the ICC Women's T20 World Cup, semi final 1 match between South Africa and Australia at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on October 17, 2024 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Pankaj Nangia/Gallo Images)

By Keanan Hemmonsbey

18 Oct 2024

Australia were firm favourites headed into the T20 Women’s World Cup semifinal but a free-swinging Anneke Bosch crushed those odds.

The letter and number combination “AB17” is plastered on Anneke Bosch’s MRF blade, just below her bat sponsor. It’s the branding of one of South Africa’s greatest-ever batters AB de Villiers, who this week was inducted into the International Cricket Council Hall of Fame.

AB also happens to be Bosch’s initials, although she adorns the number 27 jersey instead of the 17 which De Villiers wore in his playing days. But the stickers are not there intentionally.

Bosch sent her bats to the MRF factory to be refurbished and they all came back with the “AB17” sticker. It was not planned, not intentional, and yet she embodied the spirit of the man known as “Mr 360” in her incredible unbeaten innings of 74 off 48 deliveries in South Africa’s crushing eight-wicket win over reigning T20 Women’s World Cup champions Australia last night.

It was a coming-of-age knock by Bosch, who struck the ball as clean as a whistle all evening, guiding the Proteas to chasing down Australia’s score of 134 for five in only 17.2 overs.

The 31-year-old slog swept with intimidating power, splitting fielders at will and played a few audacious reverse laps, made famous by De Villiers in his prime.

It was a remarkable knock, one made even more special given the occasion – the semifinal of a T20 Women’s World Cup – and the opposition it came against.

All or nothing

A delighted Proteas Women team celebrate South Africa’s win over Australia during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup semifinal at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in the United Arab Emirates on 17 October 2024. (Photo: Pankaj Nangia / Gallo Images)

The fluidity and rate at which the runs came off Bosch’s blade against Australia were somewhat surprising given her struggles in the four group stage matches. She had made 54 runs at an average of 13.5 with a lowly strike rate of 84.37.

But her “nothing to lose” attitude helped her through the potentially sticky mindset. Yesterday her strike rate was 154.2.

The journey for Bosch in the national team has been turbulent too. She was in and out of the side at last year’s T20 World Cup, eventually batting at No 7 in the final against Australia.

In 2022 she was selected as a travelling reserve for the 50-over World Cup but didn’t board the plane because of a thumb injury that ruled her out of the tournament. But she turned that bad luck around in an hour of power-hitting.

“It hasn’t been the best tournament for me so far,” Bosch said after her player-of-the-match showing. “The mindset [yesterday] was a bit different from normal.

“If you come off a few bad games, you know it can’t get any worse so you just go at it and stay positive and score as quickly as you can and put the team in a good position.

“Sometimes it comes off, sometimes it doesn’t.”

And yesterday, it sure did come off.

A big win

Elated members of the Proteas Women team celebrate South Africa’s win over Australia during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup semifinal at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in the United Arab Emirates on 17 October 2024. (Photo: Pankaj Nangia / Gallo Images)

Women’s T20 World Cup Proteas vs Australia Proteas Women players celebrate their win over Australia during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup semifinal at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in the United Arab Emirates on 17 October 2024. (Photo: Pankaj Nangia / Gallo Images)

The magnitude of the victory cannot be underestimated either. Even though Australia were without their instrumental captain Alyssa Healy, who suffered a foot injury earlier in the tournament, this is a generational Australia outfit.

The Aussie Women have won six of the last eight T20 Women’s World Cups.

It’s the first time since the inaugural tournament in 2009 that the final will be decided without Australia being part of it.

It’s the first time the Aussies are not in the final in seven tournaments across 15 years.

Only two players, outside of Healy, are missing from the team that captured the trophy last year at Newlands Cricket Stadium in South Africa.

All this to say that this is an extremely good Australian team that South Africa beat, firmly against the odds. It’s a victory that can be compared to beating the All Blacks in rugby in 2015, toppling Real Madrid in a Champions League final or smashing Rafael Nadal at the French Open.

And yet, the team still believe there’s more to come.

“We said we haven’t played our best game yet and probably still haven’t, but hopefully we’re saving it for the finals,” Bosch said.

“We’re really happy. We had this belief that we can do it and I’m really glad we could get over the line.”

Having toppled the champions, South Africa now head into the final as favourites regardless of whom they come up against. DM

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All or nothing

A big win