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"contents": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">South Africa (SA) smashed Australia by five-wickets in the under-19 Cricket World Cup in Malaysia this morning to book their place in the final tournament for the first time.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have set up a date with destiny against reigning champions India on Sunday.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Leg-spinner Ashleigh van Wyk claimed a spectacular four-wicket haul, conceding only 17 runs in her three overs to help restrict Australia to 105 for eight after 20 overs.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is currently the monsoon season in Malaysia, which has meant that torrential rains have fallen on most days. Pitches have therefore been turgid and slow throughout the tournament with par scores being less than run-a-ball.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A fast-start by opener Jemma Botha, however, who smacked a quickfire 37 off 24 deliveries — which included five fours and two sixes — meant that the run-chase never got away from the South Africans.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Skipper Kayla Reyneke scored a run-a-ball 26 but was dismissed when the team needed just three. Mieke van Voorst and Seshnie Naidu did enough to get the team over the line with 11 deliveries to spare. It was the first time a score over 100 was successfully chased in this year’s tournament.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“The bowlers really came to the party by restricting Australia to 105, giving us batters a job that wasn’t too difficult,” Botha said after the clash.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Our plans were clear, hit the ball as it came. If it’s short, play it on the front foot, if it’s short, play it on the back foot.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“There were a lot of nerves and anxiety throughout the batting innings but I’m glad that we’re in the final.”</span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-2569330 size-full\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/TL_2340733-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Jemma Botha of South Africa\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1651\" /> <em>Jemma Botha of South Africa playing a shot during the 2025 ICC U19 Women's T20 World Cup Semi Final match between South Africa and Australia at Bayuemas Oval on 31 January 2025 in Malaysia. (Photo: Isuru Sameera/Gallo Images)</em></p>\r\n<h4><b>Going one better</b></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Botha was part of the squad that fell at the Super Sixes stage of the inaugural under-19 Women’s World Cup in SA in 2023. The team only lost one match all tournament — falling to eventual champions India in the group stages — but that was enough to see them miss out on net-run rate.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“The 2023 group feels it the most because missing out on net-run rate is not the best thing,” Botha said about her emotions following what happened in 2023. “A lot of the management deserve [praise] because they put in so much hard work and so many hard hours.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Before the game I was really nervous but nerves are good, it means that we care. If you don’t have nerves going into a semi-final then you’re not human.”</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This time around, SA are undefeated, having left nothing to chance in their passage to the final. SA’s semi-final clash against Australia is only their second match not to have been influenced by over-restrictions or the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern because of the rain.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Junior Proteas swept past New Zealand (22 runs), Nigeria (41 runs) and Samoa (10 wickets) in the pool stage to top their group.</span>\r\n\r\n<b>Read more:</b> <a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-01-15-junior-proteas-face-tough-new-zealand-challenge-in-t20-world-cup-campaign-opener/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Junior Proteas face tough New Zealand challenge in T20 World Cup campaign opener</span></a>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They had no problem beating Ireland by seven-wickets in a low-scoring, rain restricted 10-over match in the Super Six stage before their clash against USA was abandoned due to incessant rainfall.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India, though, coming through on the opposite side of the tournament, are also undefeated and have never been defeated in a Women’s under-19 World Cup before.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“It’s not about us, it’s about the country,” Botha said about her motivation to lift the trophy in the final.</span>\r\n<h4><b>Recent SA cricket success</b></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The last two years of cricket have been some of the most successful in SA’s cricketing history across all levels.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The women’s side have made back-to-back T20 World Cup finals. The men’s side made their first-ever World Cup final when they reached the last stage at the T20 World Cup in West Indies and USA last year. The men’s Test side have also made the final of the World Test Championship.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now, the under-19 Women’s outfit have made a World Cup final for the first time as well. Captain Reyneke’s squad have a chance to go one better than the senior teams before them by clinching the trophy and not falling at the final hurdle. </span><b>DM</b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> </span>\r\n\r\n<i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The final gets underway at 2.30pm on Sunday at the Bayuemas Oval in Pandamaran, in Klang.</span></i>\r\n\r\n<i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> </span></i>\r\n\r\n ",
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"description": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">South Africa (SA) smashed Australia by five-wickets in the under-19 Cricket World Cup in Malaysia this morning to book their place in the final tournament for the first time.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have set up a date with destiny against reigning champions India on Sunday.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Leg-spinner Ashleigh van Wyk claimed a spectacular four-wicket haul, conceding only 17 runs in her three overs to help restrict Australia to 105 for eight after 20 overs.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is currently the monsoon season in Malaysia, which has meant that torrential rains have fallen on most days. 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If it’s short, play it on the front foot, if it’s short, play it on the back foot.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“There were a lot of nerves and anxiety throughout the batting innings but I’m glad that we’re in the final.”</span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2569330\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"2560\"]<img class=\"wp-image-2569330 size-full\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/TL_2340733-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Jemma Botha of South Africa\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1651\" /> <em>Jemma Botha of South Africa playing a shot during the 2025 ICC U19 Women's T20 World Cup Semi Final match between South Africa and Australia at Bayuemas Oval on 31 January 2025 in Malaysia. (Photo: Isuru Sameera/Gallo Images)</em>[/caption]\r\n<h4><b>Going one better</b></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Botha was part of the squad that fell at the Super Sixes stage of the inaugural under-19 Women’s World Cup in SA in 2023. 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SA’s semi-final clash against Australia is only their second match not to have been influenced by over-restrictions or the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern because of the rain.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Junior Proteas swept past New Zealand (22 runs), Nigeria (41 runs) and Samoa (10 wickets) in the pool stage to top their group.</span>\r\n\r\n<b>Read more:</b> <a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-01-15-junior-proteas-face-tough-new-zealand-challenge-in-t20-world-cup-campaign-opener/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Junior Proteas face tough New Zealand challenge in T20 World Cup campaign opener</span></a>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They had no problem beating Ireland by seven-wickets in a low-scoring, rain restricted 10-over match in the Super Six stage before their clash against USA was abandoned due to incessant rainfall.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India, though, coming through on the opposite side of the tournament, are also undefeated and have never been defeated in a Women’s under-19 World Cup before.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“It’s not about us, it’s about the country,” Botha said about her motivation to lift the trophy in the final.</span>\r\n<h4><b>Recent SA cricket success</b></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The last two years of cricket have been some of the most successful in SA’s cricketing history across all levels.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The women’s side have made back-to-back T20 World Cup finals. 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Jemma Botha of South Africa playing a shot during the 2025 ICC U19 Women's T20 World Cup Semi Final match between South Africa and Australia at Bayuemas Oval on 31 January 2025 in Malaysia. (Photo: Isuru Sameera/Gallo Images)