Match facts

July 20, 2017
Start time 1030 local (0930 GMT)

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A week ago, when India went down to Australia by eight wickets, the odds in favour of the two teams facing each other a second time this World Cup were seemingly low. While Australia had sealed a semi-final berth at a canter, India’s fate was to be decided by a knock-out tie against New Zealand. In what turned out to be their most comprehensive victory in the tournament, a century from captain Mithali Raj, coupled with Veda Krishnamurthy’s 45-ball 70, marshalled India to their fourth semi-final appearance in ten editions and their first since 2005, when they finished runners-up.The volatility of India’s performances has had a lot to do with their openers. Smriti Mandhana, who got India’s campaign off to a flying start with a 90 and a hundred in consecutive games, hasn’t been able to score in excess of 15 in the four subsequent games. Punam Raut, too, has made two substantial scores – 86 against England and 106 against Australia – while not scoring a fifty in her other five innings. But the one factor that has remained constant for India is Raj’s resilience. While her strike rate hasn’t been the most enviable, Raj’s partnerships with Raut, Harmanpreet Kaur, Krishnamurthy and Deepti Sharma have been vital to India’s totals, as have been her 356 runs at an average of 50.85, that contributed to her becoming the first Indian to score 1000 runs in the World Cup.For Australia, though, consistency of the top order led to the side’s six wins out of seven games. With one century and four fifties between them, the left-handed opening pair of Beth Mooney and Nicole Bolton has not only negated the shenanigans of the new ball but also laid the foundation for the other batsmen to capitalise on thereafter. That they bat as deep as No.9 has given Meg Lanning and Ellyse Perry the freedom to play with abandon.Equally instrumental to Australia’s fortunes has been the variety and efficacy of their spin troika – Jess Jonassen, Ashleigh Gardner and Kristen Beams – who have taken 27 wickets between them, while conceding less than four an over each. Despite the spectre of uncertainty around the protracted pay talks with their board, Australia’s performance on the field has been near-perfect, with their batting and bowling complementing each other perfectly even when they have been without Lanning.

Form guide

Australia WWLWW (completed matches, most recent first)
India WLLWW

In the spotlight

Through their seven league matches, Australia’s brooding confidence as defending champions translated, almost seamlessly, into their incarnation as practical frontrunners to win the World Cup. Much of that transition has, unsurprisingly, coincided, with Ellyse Perry‘s imperious run of form – on Saturday, she became the only batsman to make five successive ODI half-centuries on three separate occasions. Perry’s 58-ball 55 against South Africa was one of 20 fifties in her last 31 ODI innings. That run of form has earned her a career-best No. 3 spot among batsmen in the latest ICC Women’s ODI Player Rankings. Her World Cup tally of 366 runs from seven innings is the second-highest in the tournament, and her returns with the ball – nine wickets and an economy rate of 4.62 – have helped her leapfrog West Indies captain Stafanie Taylor to become the top-ranked allrounder in the world for the third time in her career.Rajeshwari Gayakwad came in to bowl, for the first time in the tournament, in the 12th over of New Zealand’s chase. Even though the scorecard read 34 for 3, Sophie Devine and Amy Satterthwaite were still at the crease. By her fifth over, Gayakwad had dismissed both, and halfway into her eighth, she had wrapped up career-best returns, the best bowling figures in this tournament, and India’s semi-final spot. Gayakwad was Raj’s trump card against New Zealand, and will remain so against Australia. Unlike fellow left-arm spinner Ekta Bisht, whom she replaced in the side, Gayakwad bowls with genuine loop and guile, and could hold the key to slowing Australia down. When India last defeated Australia, in Hobart last year, Gayakwad bowled an important spell, taking two wickets including that of Lanning.Meg Lanning averages 109.33 in this Women’s World Cup•Getty Images

Team news

Lanning’s troublesome shoulder forced her to sit out a second game in the tournament during Australia’s last league match, against South Africa on Saturday. She was, however, seen taking throwdowns, albeit with a heavily strapped shoulder, as the team got its first training session underway in the County Ground. Chances of her not slotting back into the XI, and as captain, for the knockout clash are, therefore, slim.Despite Lanning’s inclusion, Australia may consider retaining stand-in captain Rachael Haynes, who has featured in only two games so far. Against South Africa, Haynes’ left-arm medium-pace accounted for two top-order wickets off the only two overs she has bowled since the 2013 World Cup. With two golden ducks and one half-century in her last four innings, Elyse Villani’s expensive part-time medium pace may not be enough for her to merit a selection ahead of fellow allrounder Haynes.Australia (possible) 1 Beth Mooney, 2 Nicole Bolton, 3 Meg Lanning (capt), 4 Ellyse Perry, 5 Elyse Villani, 6 Alex Blackwell , 7 Alyssa Healy (wk), 8 Ashleigh Gardner, 9 Jess Jonassen,10 Megan Schutt, 11 Kristen BeamsGiven the nature of the individual performances in their last group game, it is unlikely India will tweak their playing combination.India (possible) 1 Smriti Mandhana , 2 Punam Raut, 3 Mithali Raj (capt), 4 Harmanpreet Kaur, 5 Veda Krishnamurthy, 6 Deepti Sharma, 7 Shikha Pandey, 8 Sushma Verma, 9 Jhulan Goswami, 10 Rajeshwari Gayakwad, 11 Poonam Yadav

Pitch and conditions

Mithali Raj considers Derby India’s “home ground” and for good reason. They won each of their four round-robin fixtures at the venue, including the tournament opener against England and the semi-final qualification match against New Zealand. Australia, however, will be playing here for the first time in this World Cup.India’s undefeated run at the venue has largely been due to the spinners, who have capitalised on the two-paced nature of the pitch to take 24 out of India’s 33 wickets here.

Stats and trivia

• Perry’s average of 91.50 is second only to Lanning’s 109.33 in this World Cup.
• Three Australian bowlers – left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen, legspinner Kristen Beams and medium-pacer Megan Schutt – feature in the top ten on the wicket charts. India, on the contrary, have none.
• Among the India batsmen, Krishnamurthy boasts the best strike-rate, 110.86, trailed by Mandhana’s 95.76.
• Legspinner Poonam Yadav’s economy rate of 3.45 is the best among bowlers in the tournament who have sent down 20 overs or more. Jonassen’s 3.61 is the second-best.
• India have won only eight out of their 42 contests against Australia, the most recent win coming in 2016, steered by half-centuries from Raj and Mandhana and a three-for from Shikha Pandey.

Quotes

“I’m very impressed with the way India have played this tournament, from the very beginning in their match against England. They were very proactive as a team and I think they have a more aggressive approach to their batting”.
“To win against them requires us to give more than we have so far, against Australia it is important that we are the best we can be as players”.

Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli found the net against Luton Town to help Arsenal set a rare Premier League scoring record.

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Arsenal far from a one-man armyLast 11 goals scored by 11 different playersHave netted more than 100 times in 2023WHAT HAPPENED?

The Gunners took an early lead in the 20th minute through Gabriel Martinelli at Kenilworth Road on Tuesday evening. Although Gabriel Osho equalised five minutes later, Gabriel Jesus pounced on the cross at the far post by Ben White and thundered in a header to put his team ahead just before half-time. It was a landmark goal for the north London side as it meant that 11 different players scored each of Arsenal's last 11 goals in the Premier League, which is a competition record.

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Mikel Arteta has always been vocal about focusing on the collective rather than any individual, and it seems his side is walking the walk. Eddie Nketiah, Fabio Vieira, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Leandro Trossard, William Saliba, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka, and Martin Odegaard were the nine previous scorers for Arsenal before Martinelli and Jesus joined the list against Luton.

DID YOU KNOW?

It was a wild one in Luton as the hosts scored twice in the first 12 minutes of the second half through Elijah Adebayo and Ross Barkley to go 3-2 up. However, their joy was short-lived as Kai Havertz continued his purple patch and netted on the hour mark to put his team back on level terms. Declan Rice went on to score another for Arsenal, securing a 4-3 victory.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

Arsenal have been fluid in attack under Arteta as they have already scored more than a century of goals in 2023. Bukayo Saka's strike against Wolves in their 2-1 win last weekend at the Emirates was the Gunners' 100th goal across all competitions in 2023, making them just the fifth team from the big five European leagues to reach the magic figure. Other teams in the list included Premier League rivals Manchester City, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen.

Mauricio Pochettino expects Christopher Nkunku and Romeo Lavia to be available for Chelsea in the near future.

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• Blues still waiting on pair to make debuts
• Forward and midfielder struggling with injuries
• Will not be available for match against Man Utd

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Despite positive updates prior to the most recent international break, Nkunku and Lavia are yet to make their debuts for the Blues since joining from RB Leipzig and Southampton, respectively, in the summer. Nkunku sustained an injury during a pre-season friendly, while Lavia has been struggling with an ankle injury since his move to Stamford Bridge.

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  WHAT POCHETTINO SAID

  Pochettino said Nkunku would not be available for Wednesday's match against Manchester United, adding: "Hope soon. He is not involved tomorrow… I think it is like we always tell you, it's about assessing day by day. Sometimes we become excited when we see on the pitch and we want to have the player as soon as possible but I think we need to be careful and of course when he is ready he is going to be really strong."

  Asked about Lavia's prospects of being named in the matchday squad, Pochettino said: "Romeo is doing well also but like Christopher is not going to be involved."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Chelsea are eagerly awaiting both players' first competitive appearances in west London after their big-money moves. Lavia was snapped up for an initial £53 million ($68m) from Southampton after he snubbed interest from Liverpool, while forward Nkunku was bought for the same price from German side Leipzig.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR NKUNKU AND LAVIA?

  The pair will miss out on Chelsea's midweek trip to face United at Old Trafford and it is not yet known if they will be available when the Blues make the trip to Merseyside to take on Everton in the Premier League on Sunday.

Last summer, Glasgow Rangers swooped to sign Millwall starlet Zak Lovelace as Giovanni van Bronckhorst looked like he was focusing on youth talent in order to fill out the academy squads and ensuring the Ibrox side had a plethora of teen gems ready to be plucked from the B side when ready over the coming years.

Lovelace made his Millwall debut aged just 15, becoming the second-youngest player to represent the club in their history during a substitute appearance against Coventry City in December 2021 and made another four appearances for the club, which prompted the Gers to make their move once the season finished.

It was a successful 2022/23 season for the 17-year-old, with the added pressure of trying to make an impression in the B team, he scored 18 goals in all competitions while grabbing another ten assists and was even given his first team bow against Queen of the South in August during a League Cup tie.

His performances obviously impressed Michael Beale, as he was given a two minute cameo against Celtic during their excellent 3-0 win in May and the future looks bright for the England U17 international.

With Beale clearly trying to lower the age of the Rangers side, releasing players such as Scott Arfield (34), Allan McGregor (41) and Filip Helander (30) upon the expiration of their contracts, a focus on youth could pay dividends over the next few years.

With this in mind, the Light Blues have been linked with a move for former West Ham United starlet Divine Mukasa according to the Secret Scout, who claims that the youngster has “visited Rangers and Newcastle United” after he left the London side recently.

He confirmed via Instagram he was departing and posted a heartfelt message, saying: “Thank you to all the players and staff at West Ham that have helped to develop me into both the player and person that I am today.

“This club has been my home for the past 10 years and for it to come to an end is bittersweet, but it’s time to move on to the next chapter of my career.”

Who is Divine Mukasa?

The 15-year-old midfielder would be hoping to follow in the same trajectory as Lovelace by moving to Rangers at such a young age, yet he does have pedigree at U16 level, especially for his country.

He has made nine appearances for the England U16 side, scoring three goals, and grabbing one assist during those matches, netting against Scotland, and he certainly showcased his attacking abilities by being deployed just behind the striker.

It’s evident he has a keen eye for goal, and he even managed to register two goal contributions during the U18 Premier League last term, playing against players two years older and this maturity has could entice Beale into luring him to Rangers.

The Ibrox side are trying to add some of the finest talents from South of the border to their academy and by convincing Mukasa that a move to Scotland would be the best for his development, Beale could repeat Rangers’ Lovelace masterclass from 2022.

Harry Kane's transfer saga with Bayern Munich isn't "going away this summer" even after Tottenham Hotspur rejected the Bavarian club's initial offers, claims journalist Paul Brown.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news – what's the latest on Harry Kane?

It has been a positive start to the summer transfer window for Tottenham so far this year. Despite finishing outside the European places for the first time since the 2008/09 season, the North London outfit managed to secure the signature of one of their top transfer targets and most sought-after players in the league, James Maddison.

That said, the main task for the Lilywhites this year looks to be keeping their club captain and talismanic centre-forward Kane in N17.

Spurs' all-time top scorer now has under a year left on his £200,000-a-week contract, and with no indication that he will be signing a new one, Europe's top clubs have begun circling.

The latest elite side to show their interest, and with some persistence at that, is German giants Bayern Munich.

The Bundesliga champions had a first official bid of €70m (£60m) plus add-ons rejected last month and are now preparing a second deal worth an estimated £70m; however, Spurs are set to reject that one as well, per the Daily Mail.

Despite these setbacks, the Bavarian side will likely continue to test Daniel Levy's resolve, especially as Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg has reported that the England captain "definitely wants to join FC Bayern now."

What has Brown said about Harry Kane?

Brown points out that Bayern won't give up on this deal and that they perceive Spurs to be in a weak position here due to Kane's current contract situation.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said: "Yeah, I don't think this is going away this summer. I think Bayern will push really hard. The interesting thing is that the first time the news leaked out of Germany that Bayern had bid for Kane, people at Spurs were denying that that had ever happened.

"This time, they're offering no comments and going no further. So, make of that what you will. I think Bayern are trying hard to sign Kane this summer, and they will continue right up until the window closes.

"They think that Daniel Levy and Spurs are not in a strong position because Kane's contract is running out."

How many goals has Harry Kane scored in his career?

Kane has established himself as one of the top five strikers in world football over the last decade, but how many goals has he scored so far?

In 435 appearances for Spurs, he has scored 280 goals and provided 64 assists, giving the "England Legend" a genuinely outstanding goal contribution every 1.2 games. Of those 280 goals, 213 have come in the Premier League, 21 in the Champions League, and 24 in domestic cup competitions, per TransferMarkt.

The Walthamstow-born machine performs just as well for his national side as he is now the all-time top goal scorer for both club and country.

In 84 appearances for the Three Lions, Kane has scored 58 goals and provided 18 assists, giving him a frankly outrageous goal contribution every 1.1 games in international football.

While Levy and Co are certainly playing a dangerous game by keeping such a valuable asset whilst his contract runs down, it's unlikely that they could replace him with the money Bayern have offered thus far anyway.

Mark Wood has been passed fit for the third Test against South Africa with scans clearing him of injury after he had reported soreness in his left heel

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jul-20171:06

Butcher: Wood’s spot under scrutiny

Mark Wood has been passed fit for the third Test against South Africa with scans clearing him of injury after he had reported soreness in his left heel.However, he could still be under pressure to retain his place after managing just 1 for 197 during the first two Tests at Lord’s and Trent Bridge.Wood has undergone three ankle operations between October 2015 and his return to England colours at the start of the season, but the soreness felt at Trent Bridge was never thought to be related.Wood has not bowled badly in the two Tests but has not consistently provided the extra edge to the attack that he had been earmarked for alongside James Anderson and Stuart Broad. Form aside, there may also be concerns about asking Wood to play three Tests in quick succession due to his injury history.Toby Roland-Jones, the uncapped Middlesex seamer, has been part of the squad for the first two Tests and could come into contention. Chris Woakes, who suffered a side strain during the opening match of the Champions Trophy against Bangladesh, is not expected to be available until the West Indies series in mid-August.Despite the positive news over Wood’s fitness there will be at least one change to the England side for The Oval after Gary Ballance suffered a broken finger while batting in the second innings at Trent Bridge. Liam Dawson’s position will under come under scrutiny, but coach Trevor Bayliss suggested that Keaton Jennings, who has made three single-figure scores in the series, will be given further opportunity although that may come at No. 3 depending on who replaces Ballance.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly still in the race for Bristol City midfielder Alex Scott, as Julen Lopetegui looks to rebuild his side this summer.

The Spaniard has begun the task of a well-needed clear out, in which the Old Gold have made almost £80m in sales so far.

Next, the former Real Madrid boss is expected to focus on introducing players that could become part of a new era at Molineux, with youngster Alex Scott still named as a talent that is wanted in the Midlands.

Links between the teenager and Wolves span back to March, where Dean Jones, via GIVEMESPORT, predicted a ‘summer bidding war’ for the thriving English midfielder.

Amidst Wolves’ Financial Fair Play (FFP) battles, suspicion regarding the club’s interest in the £25m-rated starlet disappeared, however news this week reinstated the belief that the Englishman could arrive at Molineux.

According to The Athletic, the 19-year-old is still ‘very much on Wolves’ radar’, and now that sales, there is hope that the Midlands side ‘could bend the rules’ in the bid to secure the talent.

How good is Alex Scott?

Lauded as “terrific” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, the Bristol City gem was named the Championship’s Young Player of the Year for the 2022/23 campaign.

The teenager burst onto the scene the season prior, securing himself as a firm starter for the Robins, making 38 appearances and contributing to six goals and assists in his first senior term, via Transfermarkt.

Scott’s battery is yet to run out, as he carried the form of his debut campaign to last season, in which he made 42 Championship appearances as the club’s star man.

The central midfielder hit a high in the FA Cup, where he shone against treble winners Manchester City during his side’s 3-0 defeat to the European champions.

Following the game, the teen was praised as being “unbelievable” by Pep Guardiola, in a game that earned him a 7.0 match rating for a blistering 90-minute display against the best of the best, via Sofascore.

His performance on that day suggested that the teenager is ready for the jump to the top tier.

Against City, the Guernsey-born starlet won nine ground duels and two aerial duels up against a midfield including Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva.

The youngster could be a revelation in Lopetegui’s new-look side and an asset in midfield alongside other talents in the ranks at Molineux.

Joao Gomes arrived at the club in January from Flamengo and has impressed so far, giving Wolves fans a glimpse of what he could offer in his first full season.

Should Lopetegui secure the signing of Scott, the Old Gold could have a midfield partnership that many would envy, in two young talents capable of dictating play in the engine room.

Both players are innate tacklers, as highlighted by their averages across their respective seasons based on their minutes played.

As per FBref, Gomes averaged a monstrous four tackles per 90 in his half-season at Molineux, as well as averaging 2.62 progressive passes per 90 to show his ability in dispatching the ball to advanced areas.

Similar numbers were hit by Scott, who over 3381 minutes in the Championship averaged 2.05 tackles per game, as well as 1.41 blocks showing the tenacious nature of the Englishman’s playing style.

Like Gomes, the 19-year-old exercised his abilities in advanced areas, averaging 2.34 progressive carries per 90 to show how rounded his talents in the middle of the park are.

Lopetegui could unearth a powerful duo by signing Scott, however, the club must act fast in their pursuit of the in-demand starlet.

The two suspended teams will now be able to participate in the 11th IPL edition next year

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jul-20171:06

Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals’ rollercoaster rides

Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals have completed their suspensions of two years from the IPL on Friday and were “welcomed back” by the BCCI.The suspension on the owners of the two franchises – India Cements and Jaipur IPL – was imposed by the Lodha Committee exactly two years ago, effectively ruling out the participation of the two teams. They will now be able to feature in 11th IPL edition next year.The committee had also banned for life Gurunath Meiyappan, a former official of Super Kings, and Raj Kundra, a co-owner of Royals, from any involvement in cricket matches for bringing “disrepute” to the game.The BCCI later decided to bring in two new franchises for a two-year term. In December 2015, the New Rising consortium and Intex won the ownership rights of the new franchises Rising Pune Supergiant (home base: Pune) and Gujarat Lions (home base: Rajkot).Super Kings had won the IPL twice, in 2010 and 2011, while Royals won the inaugural edition in 2008.

Manchester United's deal to sign Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana is still "absolutely on and absolutely close to being completed" despite reports suggesting otherwise, claims transfers expert Fabrizio Romano.

Is Andre Onana coming to Manchester United?

United have been making positive steps in the transfer window so far this summer, starting with the signing of Chelsea's academy star and former poster boy Mason Mount for a fee reported to be just £55m.

However, it was the goalkeeping position that needed the most attention after another poor season from David De Gea made his position as the club's number one increasingly untenable, and with his recent departure from Old Trafford, the need became even more acute.

Luckily, the Red Devils appear to have made good progress on their deal to sign Cameroon international Onana, with Fabrizio Romano reporting last week that the player had agreed to personal terms with the three-time European champions.

That said, the deal has been held up somewhat as United and Inter butt heads over the final fee for the player, with the Daily Mail reporting that the Italian giants want £51m for their star man, whereas Erik ten Hag's side refuse to go above £43m.

This was followed by an update from Rudy Galetti who stated that there has been an apparent breakthrough made, as they've verbally agreed a fee but final details are still being discussed.

However, these sorts of disagreements and delays are to be expected in deals of this magnitude, and fans shouldn't be too worried about the deal falling through as the next round of talks are expected to begin on Thursday, per Fabrizio Romano.

He explained the situation on his YouTube channel:

"I am told that on Thursday, so in the next 24 hours, there will be a new round of talks to try and get this deal done. So, waiting for this new round of talks and waiting for the Andre Onana deal to be completed.

"It was a tense day yesterday (Wednesday) in terms of exchange between the two clubs, but the deal remains absolutely on and absolutely close to being completed, so this is a normal exchange at this stage of the deal when both sides are trying to have the best advantage on this situation.

"So, deal on and Thursday new talks to get it done, but Andre Onana remains very close to Manchester United."

Is Andre Onana a big upgrade on David De Gea?

The "masterful goalkeeper", as described by his former and potential future boss, ten Hag, is coming in to replace a former Premier League-winning goalkeeper, but how does he stack up to him?

In terms of their performances in their domestic leagues last season, the Inter man slightly edges it with an average rating of 7.13 from Sofascore. In contrast, the former Atletico man averaged just 6.96.

When it came to shot-stopping, again, Onana came out slightly ahead with a save percentage of 72% in the league to De Gea's 70%.

The biggest point of difference is in their passing ability. Where the 32-year-old could only average a passing accuracy of 68%, the 27-year-old achieved a pass accuracy of 79% in Serie A.

A final important difference is that, according to Sofascore, the Spaniard made two errors that directly led to a goal last season. In contrast, the former Ajax star didn't make a single error that directly led to a goal in the league for Inter.

United should do all they can to sign the keeper that former Premier League goalkeeper Shaka Hislop claimed "ticks all the boxes."

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsEllyse Perry was at the forefront of another Australian victory•ICC/Getty Images

Prior to Saturday’s match, South Africa had never won against Australia in 13 completed ODIs. The closest they had come was in November 2016, when they managed a tie one of the five games of the series. Another had yielded a loss off the penultimate ball. That South Africa were able to bring some of that grit into their last league fixture this World Cup was largely down to legspinner Sune Luus’ fifth five-wicket haul that restricted Australia to 269, and 18-year old Laura Wolvaardt’s solid 71 that they could not capitalise on. South Africa fell 59 runs short in Taunton, allowing the defending champions to turn their attention to a semi-final clash with India on July 20.Ellyse Perry was chiefly responsible for things turning out the way they did as she combined a 58-ball 59 with figures of 2 for 47. She ran Trisha Chetty out for 37 with a sharp throw from deep midwicket, and then removed Luus and Ayabonga Khaka off successive deliveries in the 39th over to clear Australia’s path to victory.Australia’s spinners – Jess Jonassen, Asheligh Gardner and Kristen Beams – had done most of the damage, returning combined figures of 3 for 99 off 30 overs. While left-armer Jonassen took out opener Lizelle Lee in the sixth over of the chase, before adding van Niekerk to her tally of 2 for 40, Gardner and Kristen Beams ensured pressure was kept up from the other end as well.In the absence of Meg Lanning, sidelined for a second time in the tournament with a shoulder injury, stand-in captain Rachael Haynes compounded South Africa’s dismissing Mignon du Preez with her first ball in over four years. Haynes, who had last brandished her left-arm medium pace in the 2013 World Cup, also against the same opponents, dealt the more telling blow to South Africa’s innings in her next over, toppling Wolvaardt on 71. The teenaged opener backed up two half-centuries and two not-outs from five preceding games with a knock full of substance, but she just couldn’t do it alone.That South Africa were able to bring up 100 in under 22 overs was, in part, due to Australia’s sloppy fielding inside the circle. While Perry let an innocuous Wolvaardt drive, off Schutt, roll for four in the third over, Schutt dropped Chetty on 1 off Perry in the eighth, before Haynes joined in the comedy with a dive right over the ball at mid-off. Wolvaardt’s departure, however, robbed the innings of the fluency and worse, triggered a collapse as South Africa lost five wickets for 17 runs. It was only Shabnim Ismail’s 26 off 41 balls that yanked the total from 165 for 8 to 201.Australia could have enjoyed a larger margin of victory if they had been able to capitalise on a 114-run opening stand. But neither of Beth Mooney nor Nicole Bolton could press on to convert their half-centuries beyond 53 and 79 respectively. And even Perry, who struck a fifth-successive fifty – a record in World Cup cricket – was sent back just as she seemed set to dominate. Considering little was going South Africa’s way initially – by the 21st over, Dane van Niekerk had brought on a seventh bowler – Australia’s batsmen would have wanted to make a stronger statement.There was a mitigating factor though – the legspin of Luus. She got rid of Bolton and Elyse Villani in successive deliveries, and then denied Australia the firepower they needed in the slog overs by dismissing Perry in the 40th. She made sure South Africa were feeling good going into the mid-innings break. They just couldn’t hold on to the feeling long enough.