Watch highlights of England's win
By Rob Barnett
England produced panic among their opponents to affect a remarkable five run-outs, skittling South Africa for 101, as Charlotte Edwards’ side emphatically set up a rematch of the 2012 World Twenty20 final with Australia on Sunday.
Favourites for an eighth win in as many Twenty20 internationals versus the Proteas, England immediately took a stranglehold in Dhaka through player of the match Anya Shrubsole.
Shrubsole, the tournament’s leading wicket-taker now with 12 scalps, capitalised on Edwards winning the toss via two nearly-identical early breakthroughs; the seamer bowled right-handers Lizelle Lee and Trisha Chetty through the gate with big inswingers that uprooted leg stump.
Rebecca Grundy, playing in her maiden global competition, then grabbed the first of her two strikes as Yolandi van der Westhuizen was trapped plumb in front
Grundy later ousted Mignon du Preez for 23, ending a threatening stand between the Proteas skipper and Chloe Tryon.
Tryon resisted gamely, smashing two sixes in her 40 before being bowled by Natalie Sciver in the last over.
The first two run-outs came in the 10th set of six, delivered by the economical Danni Hazell, when there could have been a third.
The other three were in the closing overs and it was fitting that the innings should finish in this fashion, with a delivery unused - equalling the record for run-outs in a women’s T20 international.
Edwards and Sarah Taylor then set about chasing the target with aplomb, sharing an opening partnership of 67 that put the result beyond doubt.
They started patiently before upping the ante with four consecutive fours across the seventh and eight overs, Edwards taking Tryon for the latter three.
Edwards was caught and bowled by 18-year-old leg-spinner Sune Luus for 36, but Heather Knight overcame early jitters against slow bowling to support Taylor with 21.
Taylor appropriately hit the winning run, with 19 balls to spare, finishing unbeaten on 44 to set up a date with Australia, who have won the last two World T20s.
Post-Match Presentation
12.05pm– Anya Shrubsole, the tournament’s leading wicket-taker now with 12 scalps, is player of the match for her exceptional 2-12 from four overs that set England on their way to victory.
She said: “I kind of rely on the ball swinging a little bit, but thankfully it did a bit today. It was a great team performance, with five run-outs.
“The most important thing is we’re through to the final,” she added. “Credit to the entire squad with how well we’re bowling and fielding.”
South Africa skipper Mignon du Preez said: “Anya bowled exceptionally well to put us under pressure early on.”
England captain Charlotte Edwards said: “It’s really exciting. The team put in a really good performance today and it’s the kind of performance you want in a semi-final.”
She added: “It’s all about putting in a good performance on Sunday.”
England Innings
12pm – ENGLAND WIN BY NINE WICKETS TO REACH WORLD TWENTY20 FINAL!!! England 102/1; Taylor 44, Knight 21 - Both batters take a single before Taylor scoops Ismail aerially to the unguarded fine-leg boundary. England emphatically triumph with 19 balls to spare, setting up a rematch of the 2012 final against Australia. Edwards’ side will be out for revenge on Sunday!
11.57am– Taylor and Knight milk seven from Ismail’s next over and the number three then opens the face for two back-to-back fours through a vacant slip region off Kapp, leaving three required from four overs.
11.48am– Ismail returns with a tight over before Heather Knight, who looks uncertain so far against spin, sweeps Luus fine for four. A further 21 runs are required from six overs.
11.37am – WICKET! Edwards c & b Luus 36; Eng 67/1 - Edwards attempts to repeat Taylor’s brilliant aerial four down the ground in the previous over but mis-times a chip back at the bowler, who does well to hold on above her head. England need 35 to win with time on their side.
11.34am– South Africa turn to leg-spin at both ends in Dane van Niekerk and Sune Luus, who restore order with the latter having a strong lbw shout against Taylor turned down.
Classic @Lottie2323! Back foot punch for 4 followed by a leg glance to the boundary, then cut for 4! England 51-0 #wt20
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) April 4, 2014
11.26am– The innings suddenly has lift-off with four fours in as many balls! Taylor smashed Loubser past long-on for the first and Edwards played Tryon to both sides of the wicket for the next three. The last pushed England past 50 in the eighth over.
11.18am– Edwards and Taylor are content to rotate the strike against Daniels and Sunette Loubser. That trend continues versus Chloe Tryon as the powerplay yields 30.
11.11am– Following Moseline Daniels’ maiden to her, Edwards takes Marizanne Kapp for two fours – the first via a drive through point and the second with a streaky inside-edge from a premeditated sweep.
11.03am– Facing Shabnim Ismail, Sarah Taylor gets off the mark first ball with a single to third man. Taylor ends the first over by pulling for four.
South Africa Innings
15 - @ECB_cricket Women have successfully chased all 15 T20I targets of 115 or lower. Accessible. #wt20
— OptaJim (@OptaJim) April 4, 2014
10.47am – SOUTH AFRICA 101 ALL OUT!! WICKET! Daniels run out (Sciver) 1 – From the innings’ penultimate ball, Moseline Daniels plays to leg and, although Sciver fumbles, she completes the fifth run-out of the innings. Amazing scenes! England need 102 to book a date with Australia in Sunday’s final.
10.44am – WICKET! Tryon b Sciver 40; SA 99/9 - The impressive Tryon, who smote Gunn for six beyond long-on in the previous over, attempts a slog-sweep only to be bowled.
10.40am – WICKET! Ismail run out (Shrubsole) 6; SA 92/8 – Remarkably there’s a fourth run-out, as Shabnim Ismail plays Gunn into the covers where Shrubsole relays to the bowler, who does the rest.
10.35am– Tryon this time clears the rope, off an Edwards full-toss, in a chaotic over that could have seen more run-outs. It’s all happening out there! Hazell brings calm, earning brilliantly economical figures of 0-8 from four overs.
10.30am – WICKET! Luus run out 5; SA 75/6 - A comedy dismissal as Sune Luus and Tryon, going for a second run, collide mid-pitch and fall to the ground, with Luus run out at the striker’s end. In the previous over Tryon emphatically pulled Sciver for a one-bounce four.
10.20am – WICKET! du Preez c Greenway b Grundy 23; SA 55/6 - Tryon ups the ante by cover-driving Natalie Sciver and pulling Grundy for four, but du Preez then holes out to the reliable Lydia Greenway in her customary position at deep midwicket. That’s an important breakthrough for England, ending a dangerous partnership.
10.14am– Gunn and Grundy continue to keep it tight. The Proteas are 42 for five from 12 overs.
SA 33/5 England running riot
— Chance to Shine (@Chance2Shine) April 4, 2014
10.06am – WICKET! Kapp run out (Edwards) 0; SA 33/5– Another run-out in the 10th over! Marizanne Kapp plays straight to short fine-leg where Charlotte Edwards gathers and relays to the bowler who breaks the stumps. There could have been a similar dismissal next ball, but Edwards threw to the keeper’s end so non-striker Chloe Tryon survives.
10.03am – WICKET! van Niekerk run out (Taylor) 7; SA 32/4 - After Jenny Gunn comes into the attack, van Niekerk nudges Hazell to leg and sets off. Wicketkeeper Sarah Taylor removes a glove, pounces on the ball and throws down the non-striker’s stumps. Brilliant work from Taylor!
9.59am– Shrubsole, whose four overs yield 2-12, and the returning Hazell restore order as South Africa reach 27 for three from eight overs.
9.53am– Shrubsole delivers a maiden to opener Dane van Niekerk but skipper Mignon du Preez counters by lofting Grundy for two consecutive fours down the ground.
9.45am – WICKET! van der Westhuizen lbw Grundy 6; SA 14/3 - Van der Westhuizen plays back and across to spinner Rebecca Grundy, who has replaced Hazell, and misses to be trapped plumb in front. South Africa are in trouble now!
9.40am – WICKET! Chetty b Shrubsole 3; SA 7/2 - Chetty doesn’t last much longer as Shrubsole, bowling with a perfectly upright seam, castles the right-hander with a near identical dismissal to Lee’s – this time hitting middle and leg. New batter Yolandi van der Westhuizen ends the over by guiding Shrubsole past point for the game’s first four.
9.36am – CHANCE! – Trisha Chetty plays Danni Hazell to mid-off and takes a risky single. Heather Knight cannot produce a direct-hit, which would have seen the number three comfortably run out.
Lance Cairns would have been proud of that big, booming inswinger from Anya Shrubsole, SA 0-1 after 3 balls.
— richard hobson (@richardjhobson) April 4, 2014
9.31am – WICKET! Lee b Shrubsole 0; SA 0/1 - Anya Shrubsole, the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, gets early in-swing and profits third ball when she bowls a driving Lizelle Lee through the gate, knocking back leg stump. A dream start for England!
Pre-Play News
Time for the anthems! #wt20pic.twitter.com/PObV8FyKkO
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) April 4, 2014
9.23am– The national anthems are in progress, England’s first, and the action is moments away.
SAw XI: L Lee, D van Niekerk, T Chetty, M du Preez, M Kapp, Y van der Westhuizen, C Tryon, S Luus, S Ismail, S Loubser, M Daniels
— ICC Live Scores (@ICCLive) April 4, 2014
9.08am– Edwards said her decision to field first takes into account the threat of rain, with Duckworth/Lewis calculations often aiding the team chasing. It will also likely give her side the best of bowling conditions on a wicket with a green tinge. England make one change with batter Tammy Beaumont replacing seamer Georgia Elwiss, who told ecb.co.uk that “anything can happen” today.
England women's team news: Edwards, Taylor, Knight, Greenway, Sciver, Jones, Beaumont, Gunn, Hazell, Shrubsole, Grundy #wt20
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) April 4, 2014
.@Lottie2323 has won the toss! England women to bowl 1st v SA #wt20pic.twitter.com/73oo2eVsWc
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) April 4, 2014
8.57am– England Women are firm favourites to win today given they have won all seven Twenty20 internationals versus South Africa. However, the Proteas are a much-improved side as England captain Charlotte Edwards explained in the build-up to today’s game.
8.45am – Hello and welcome to ecb.co.uk's live blog coverage of England Women's World Twenty20 semi-final with South Africa in Dhaka. The toss will be in 15 minutes and the action starts half an hour later. Australia await the winners in Sunday's final.
Pitch preparations in Dhaka. Looks a bit damp out in the middle #wt20pic.twitter.com/tx8Hntpoyd
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) April 4, 2014
.@ECB_cricket women have joined South Africa at the ground in Dhaka. Who will face Australia in the final? ... https://t.co/IyjqrXJaXj
— ICC (@ICC) April 4, 2014