Alana King Takes 7-18 as Aussies Demolish Proteas

ICC Women's World Cup, Indore

South Africa all out for 97: Wolvaardt 31 (26); King 7-18

Australia 98-3: Beth Mooney 42; Marizanne Kapp 1-11

Australia won by seven wickets

Alana King produced the best bowling performance in World Cup annals as the Australians hammered South Africa by 7 wickets to arrange a semi-final meeting with India.

Leg-spinner Alana King captured seven wickets conceding 18 runs in her seven bowling stints while the South African team imploded from 32-0 to 97 all out in 24 overs, and Australia completed the chase with 199 balls left.

Alana King became part of an elite group as the 6th female player and third from Australia to secure seven wickets in a ODI match, while establishing a fresh World Cup benchmark that exceeded NZ cricketer Jackie Lord's earlier best of six wickets for 10 runs against India from 1982.

This success in Indore solidifies the Aussies' position at the summit of the leaderboard, having secured victory in all six group stage games, and arranges a knockout contest against fourth-placed India in the city on Thursday, 30 October.

South Africa will face England, who could overtake them into second place with a win over New Zealand on the weekend, in the first semi-final in Guwahati on October 29.

Opening batswoman Wolvaardt was among just three Proteas players to attain double figures, hitting seven fours in the first six overs to gift her side the perfect start before being dismissed for thirty-one by Schutt, with Alana King holding the grab at mid-wicket.

{Kim Garth then trapped Brits leg before wicket in the last over of the fielding restrictions before Alana King took wickets twice in five deliveries as South Africa collapsed from 42 for one to 43-4|Following that, Garth got Tazmin Brits lbw in the concluding over of powerplay, and then the leg-spinner struck twice in just five balls, causing South Africa to slump from 42/1 to 43/4.

{King claimed five of the remaining six wickets to occur- with Gardner bowled Masabata Klaas- as South Africa were dismissed for less than 100 for the second instance in the tournament, having earlier been skittled for sixty-nine by knockout rivals England in their opener|Alana King secured 5 out of the remaining six scalps that fell- including Gardner dismissing Masabata Klaas- as the team was dismissed for below 100 runs for the second time in this event, after being bowled out for 69 runs by semi-final opponents England in the opening game.

{The defending champions stumbled briefly in their pursuit, slipping to 11 for two inside six overs, before Beth Mooney (42) and Georgia Voll (38 not out) combined to guide them to a comfortable win|Although the reigning champions had a shaky start during the chase, slipping to 11-2 in the initial six overs, Mooney (42 runs) and Voll (38 not out) partnered to steer them to a straightforward triumph.