Australia breeze through a chilly day at Old Trafford

Australia (172/8) beat South Africa (107 all out) by 65 runs

• Efficient Australia overcome the underwhelming Proteas.

• Fantastic Litchfield cameo the highlight for Australia.

• Wolvaardt unable to kick on in reply for South Africa. 

• Ismail misfires on her World Cup return for South Africa

• South Africa in danger of exiting at the group stage.

In the first heavyweight encounter of this World Cup, Australia triumphed over South Africa on a chilly, blustery day in Manchester. The clash between two teams who harbour realistic ambitions of lifting the trophy on 5^th July was crying out for one of the many superstars on view to grab the game by the scruff of the neck with a decisive contribution that would take the game away from the opposition. 

Unfortunately, it appeared that both teams were a little bit jet lagged and neither were enjoying the chill weather, so in a subdued performance by both sides, it was Australia who ultimately triumphed, due in no small part to the 24-ball cameo of their genius batter Phoebe Litchfield. Her half-century was the most joyful and most creative passage of play in the match.

It was a huge disappointment to the watching public when she fell to a brilliant catch at extra cover by Laura Wolvaardt, as she had seemed destined to match the achievement of Danni Wyatt-Hodge the previous evening and go on to produce a century, so chanceless and brilliantly executed had her innings been. Her visible disappointment and frustration at her dismissal tells us that she knew it too.

Throughout the innings, Australians arrived and departed at regular intervals. The ability to bat as deep as Australia means that losing wickets becomes less serious than it is for other teams. The ageless Elysse Perry stuck around longest, accumulating 36 from 26 balls, but all around her, various team members added small numbers of rapid runs before being dismissed, leaving the world’s number one T20 team on 172/8 after 20 overs. It was a decent total, but South Africa would have been pleased to restrict them to this and it is a total that South Africa knew was within their capability of chasing.

The pick of South Africa’s bowlers was Nonkululeko Mlaba, her 2/22 an economical and accurate spell of bowling. The returning Shabnim Ismail had a disappointing day, her two powerplay overs going for 27 runs and helping to give Australia a flying start.

South Africa are full of very talented batters, but none more so than Laura Wolvaardt. A good performance from her today would certainly have led South Africa to victory. However, she appeared somewhat subdued by her own exceptional standards and was starved of the strike, facing only 10 balls during the powerplay as first Luus and then Dercksen departed cheaply. If South Africa were to win, then Wolvaardt needed to be there at the end, so when she was finally dismissed, caught in the deep by Georgia Wareham in the 14^th over for 44 from 39 balls, with the score at 96/5, the game was over to all intents and purposes.

Australia’s bowlers wrapped up the South Africa tail for 107 in the 17^th over. Wareham was the pick of them, her 3/13 especially good given that the cold, blustery conditions were not helpful for leg-spinners. The rest were efficient without being noticeably outstanding or exciting. Molineux bowled tidily, taking 2/17 from 3 overs even though de Klerk hammered her for two sixes, and she took the crucial wicket of Woolvaardt.

So, what does this game teach us about these teams? South Africa need to get back to their best as soon as possible. Their net run rate has taken a battering in this defeat and there is a danger that qualification from the group of death could be taken out of their hands if they lose to India at this venue next weekend.

Australia were efficient and clinical in the way they won. But their habit of losing regular wickets, without creating huge partnerships will surely cost them at some point. Litchfield and Perry looked good, but Voll, Mooney and Gardner will surely want to get a good score sooner rather than later in this tournament, having had a disappointing day today.

Have we seen the 2026 World champions today? It’s possible. I doubt, on this performance, that South Africa will qualify from this group. Australia are very strong, but no longer invincible and have noticeable vulnerabilities. 

Next up for Australia is Bangladesh in Leeds on Wednesday. South Africa will face Pakistan at Edgbaston on the same day.