South Africa beat England enter maiden Women's T20 World Cup final, to face Australia in title clash
Cape Town, Feb 24: Pacers Shabnim Ismail and Ayabonga Khaka shared seven wickets between them as South Africa staged a spectacular fight-back to stun England by six runs and enter their maiden Women's T20 World Cup final here on Friday.
Openers Laura Wolvaardt (53) and Tazmin Britz (68) struck entertaining half-centuries to take South Africa to 164 for four in the second semifinal at Newlands.
The game went down to the wire thanks to the efforts of Ismail (3/27) and Khaka (4/29), who both came up with momentum changing overs. The 2009 champions England ended with 158 for eight in 20 overs.
Danielle Wyatt (34) and Sophia Dunkley (28) made a flying start to take England to 53 for no loss in five overs.
Star pacer Ismail brought back South Africa in the game with a double strike in the sixth over. Both Dunkley and incoming batter Alice Capsey (0) were caught at midwicket by Britz. The one-handed catch to dismiss Capsey off a short ball stood out among the four catches she took in the game.
With 81 needed off last 60 balls and eight wickets in hand, England were expected to complete the task before South Africa made a roaring comeback, egged on by a loud home crowd.
Medium pacer Khaka turned the game on its head by striking thrice in the 18th over, sending back Amy Jones, Sophie Ecclestone and Katherine Sciver-Brunt.
With 13 needed off the last over and England still had hope with skipper Heather Knight in the middle. Ismail got rid of her to seal a special result for South Africa.
Earlier, the hosts' star batter Wolvaardt and Britz shared a 96-run stand to lay the groundwork for a competitive total.
England's lead spinner Sophie Ecclestone was the pick of the bowlers taking three wickets for 22 runs in four overs.
It was a second successive fifty from the 23-year-old Wolvaardt whose innings comprised five fours and a glorious off-drive than went all the way for a six.
Ecclestone was the one to provide the breakthrough for England as Wolvaardt, trying to play on the on side, got a leading edge and was caught by Charlotte Dean.
Britz changed gears following her opening partner's dismissal. Her back to straight sixes off leggie Sarah Glenn was the highlight of her innings.
Ecclestone pulled things back in the death overs with wickets of Chloe Tyron and Nadine de Klerk in a three run over before Marizanne Kapp got a much needed 23 not out off 13 balls to take the total beyond 160.
Katherine Sciver-Brunt's last over went for 18 runs and included a boundary off a waist high full toss.
Kapp ended the innings on a high with back to back fours.
South Africa were able to collect 66 runs off the last six overs.
What a feeling for South Africa 🇿🇦#ENGvSA | #T20WorldCup | #TurnItUp pic.twitter.com/GW8y1tdvAv
— ICC (@ICC) February 24, 2023
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CJI Gavai flags absence of Chief Secretary, DGP during Maharashtra visit; Calls it protocol lapse
Stresses importance of constitutional respect between judiciary, executive, and legislature
Mumbai: Chief Justice of India Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai on Sunday expressed concern over a perceived lapse in protocol during his first visit to Maharashtra after assuming office. Addressing a felicitation event organised by the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa in Mumbai, the CJI noted the absence of senior state officials, including the Chief Secretary, Director General of Police (DGP), and Mumbai Police Commissioner, upon his arrival in the city.
Gavai, who hails from Maharashtra and became the second Dalit to be appointed as the CJI, highlighted that the absence of these key officials was disappointing and warranted introspection.
“When a person from Maharashtra becomes the Chief Justice of India and visits Maharashtra for the first time, if the Chief Secretary, DGP, or the Police Commissioner don’t consider it appropriate to be present, then they need to reflect on that,” Gavai said.
Emphasising that protocol is not a ceremonial formality but a reflection of institutional respect, the Chief Justice remarked, “Protocols are not something new — it’s a question of the respect one constitutional body gives to another.”
He also spoke on the importance of maintaining mutual respect among the three pillars of democracy, the judiciary, legislature, and executive. “Such courtesies are indicative of how constitutional bodies value each other’s roles,” he added.
In a lighter vein, Gavai quipped that had another Chief Justice been in his place, the matter might have invoked Article 142 of the Constitution, a provision that empowers the Supreme Court to pass any order necessary for doing complete justice.
Justice Gavai assumed office as the Chief Justice of India last month, becoming only the second Dalit to hold the position in the country’s judicial history.
