Australia easily beats India and sends South Africa into the Women's T20 semifinals

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LONDON (AP) — Australia produced a statement group-closing win that eliminated India and advanced South Africa into the semifinals of the Women's Twenty20 World Cup on Sunday.

Australia looked primed for a seventh crown in 10 World Cups after blowing away India by six wickets with an over to spare at a packed Lord's.

India had to win to overtake South Africa for the last semifinal spot.

But half-centuries by Ellyse Perry and Ash Gardner in a 100-run partnership off 59 balls powered Australia to victory in front of an India-heavy crowd of 27,163, a second record attendance for a World Cup group match in 24 hours.

“Pez (Perry) said that 170 (India's total) is very, very gettable,” Australia captain Sophie Molineux said. “She was good to go out there and chase it down with Ash. Those two batted beautifully.”

On the same pitch earlier, South Africa labored past Bangladesh by four wickets and waited for India's fate.

In the semifinals, Australia will play the West Indies on Tuesday and England will face South Africa on Thursday, both at The Oval.

India was riding confidence from taking the ODI World Cup last November followed by a rare T20 series win in Australia. And halfway through the Lord's match, India was on track.

Shafali Verma blasted off although Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues scored at run-a-ball pace. Rodrigues perhaps sacrificed herself too late in the 19th over to bring in big-hitting Richa Ghosh.

Captain Harmanpreet Kaur was leading India's charge and smashed three consecutive sixes in a 23-run last over to set up a competitive 170-4 total. Kaur's 27-ball 56 was her fifth fifty against Australia in T20 World Cups.

Bowling is India's strength and the attack reduced Australia to 68-3 in the 10th over.

Australia eventually needed 62 runs from 36 balls when Gardner and Perry exploded. They took 16 runs from Shree Charani, 12 from Verma then 17 from Renuka Singh to slash the asking rate to a cruisy 17 from 18 balls.

Perry raised her fifty from 33 balls followed by Gardner from 29. On the brink of victory, Perry was out on 56 to give Charani her tournament-leading 14th wicket. Gardner was 53 not out at a winning 172-4.

South Africa played its part on the day by beating Bangladesh but was taken to the last over.

By coincidence, the best batters on both teams were out to the first ball of each innings. Juairiya Ferdous swung at and missed Marizanne Kapp and gave the South African pacer her 100th T20 wicket. South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt was bowled between bat and pad by Marufa Akter. The pair of opening ducks happened only once before at a T20 World Cup in 2018 between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Bangladesh chose to bat and made only 117-5 in the face of quality bowling by Kapp (1-9) Shabnim Ismail (1-15) and Nonkululeko Mlaba (2-22).

Sobhana Mostary top-scored for Bangladesh with 42 and captain Nigar Sultana was 32 not out off 20 to become the team’s leading tournament scorer.

Annerie Dercksen and Tazmin Brits gave South Africa a better start but wickets fell regularly enough to make the chasers sweat. Dercksen was caught behind in the 15th over, Kapp was run out in the 18th and Nadine de Klerk fell in the 19th. It took Chloe Tryon to grab the win with two miscued shots.

“We seem to always do this but we take the win,” Kapp said. “A win is a win. Even if it was very scrappy.”

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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket