Indore: Australia’s stand-in captain Tahila McGrath heaped praise on spinner Alana King after her sensational 7-for-18 powered the team to a commanding seven-wicket win over South Africa in the Women’s ODI World Cup match at the Holkar Stadium on Saturday.
King’s spell of brilliance skittled South Africa out for just 97 runs, with Australia chasing down the target in only 16.5 overs to finish at the top of the group. The defending champions will now face India in the second semifinal at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on October 30.
“She was outstanding — that was pretty awesome,” McGrath said after the match. “It felt like every time the ball was in her hands, something was bound to happen. She attacked the stumps relentlessly, and it seemed like every delivery could get a wicket. Super happy for her — I’ve heard she broke a few records today. Really special performance.”
McGrath also revealed that bringing King into the attack after the Powerplay was a joint call. “She’s been an X-factor for us this World Cup. Once the Powerplay ended, Ash and I agreed to bring her on, and she just took over from there,” she added.
In the modest chase, South Africa’s Marizanne Kapp and Masabata Klaas struck early, removing Phoebe Litchfield (5) and Ellyse Perry (0) within the first six overs to briefly rattle Australia.
However, Georgia Voll and Beth Mooney steadied the innings with a composed 76-run partnership that swung the momentum decisively in Australia’s favour. Though Nadine de Klerk later dismissed Mooney, Voll guided the team home with an unbeaten 38 off 33 balls, including seven boundaries, ensuring a comfortable finish.
“The plan was to bat with intent,” McGrath explained. “It looked like a slightly tricky surface, but if you played positively, you got rewarded. We lost a couple early, but the way ‘Volly’ and ‘Moons’ batted was brilliant. I’m always nervous watching from the sidelines — I’m not a great spectator! (laughs) But it’s great to carry some momentum into the semifinals. Facing India will be exciting — we’ve played them a lot, especially at that venue. Knockouts are a different ball game, and we can’t wait for it.”
