England beat South Africa to set up Women’s T20 World Cup final with Australia

Nat Sciver-Brunt turned England’s semi-final into a statement of intent, returning from a calf injury to make 75 off 47 balls and drive a 40-run victory over South Africa at The Oval. Heather Knight added 58 off 47 as England recovered from 23-3 in the fourth over to post 169-5, then held South Africa to 129-8 to reach Sunday’s Women’s T20 World Cup final against Australia at Lord’s.

Sciver-Brunt had missed three matches earlier in the tournament with the injury, but England cleared her to play for the semi-final and she said she had “thrown everything” at being fit for the contest. Her innings, alongside Knight’s, produced a 133-run stand that set a Women’s T20 World Cup semi-final record and underlined how much her return changed England’s balance, with leadership and runs arriving in the same performance.

England’s response after that early collapse also sharpened the case for Charlotte Edwards’ side as title contenders. The group had been under pressure at 23-3, but once Sciver-Brunt and Knight settled in, the innings moved beyond recovery and into command. England’s campaign has been marked by a clearer edge in pressure matches, and this was the cleanest example yet: a rescue act that became a route to control.

South Africa never managed to match that standard, even with Tazmin Brits compiling a half-century. Their chase ended at 129-8, leaving England to celebrate a place in their first Women’s T20 World Cup final in eight years. The semi-final also drew another record attendance, a sign of how the competition’s profile has grown at The Oval.

Australia now stand between England and the trophy, and the scale of the challenge is obvious. They are the most successful side in Women’s T20 World Cup history with six titles, including the last in 2023, and they arrive unbeaten. England will also take a strong home record into Lord’s, having never lost a women’s ODI or T20 World Cup as hosts, which gives Sunday’s final the feel of a decisive test of where the sport’s power still lies.