McGrath dominates chase as Australia cement top spot

Australia have completed a perfect T20 World Cup group stage, seeing off hosts South Africa by six wickets at Gqeberha's St George's Park despite Alyssa Healy missing the match with a quad concern.

Healy sat out the game with what captain Meg Lanning described at the toss as a quad strain, with Beth Mooney taking the gloves and Ellyse Perry shuffling up to open the batting.

Cricket Australia confirmed Healy had suffered "quad awareness" following a heavy workload after her return from a torn calf, and would be assessed in the lead-up to the semi-finals.

The comprehensive win has cemented top spot in Group 1 for the defending champions, and secured their place in Thursday’s first semi-final at Newlands.

After Lanning elected to field first, George Wareham (2-18) led the way with the ball the hosts were restricted to 6-124 despite an aggressive 45 from opener Tazmin Brits.

Australia were wobbling at 3-40 in reply, but a clinical 81-run stand between Tahlia McGrath (57 off 33) and Gardner (28no off 29) steered the Aussies home in 16.3 overs.

Perry made a positive start to the chase finding the boundary off star Proteas quicks Marizanne Kapp and Shabnim Ismail but was brought undone on 11 by an outswinger for the former, which was snapped up by Chloe Tryon at slip.

Kapp was adamant she had Lanning caught behind two balls later but upon review UltraEdge remained unmoved.

The Australian captain's stay in the middle was a short one, however; she was bowled by Nonkululeko Mlaba for one an over later mistiming an attempted lap sweep, leaving the left-arm spinner – who recently rose to second in the ICC’s T20 bowling rankings – in raptures.

Australia were 2-33 at the end of the Powerplay and slumped to 3-40 shortly after when Mooney (20 off 25) was trapped plumb lbw by Kapp.

Gardner took some time to adjust to the conditions but McGrath quickly settled, getting going with back-to-back boundaries off Nadine de Klerk to give Australia momentum going into the drinks break.

McGrath escalated with victory in sight, hitting trios of fours first off Chloe Tryon then Mlaba, raising her bat for a 29-ball half-century in the process.

She fell with Australia shy of their target, but Grace Harris polished off the win with a first-ball boundary.

Lanning earlier elected to bowl after scattered showers fell on Gqeberha throughout the earlier match between India and England, but the skies cleared for the highly anticipated Group 1 game in front of a bumper home crowd.

Brits took the attack to the Australians early while opening partner Laura Wolvaardt made a more watchful start, the pair laying the foundation for the Proteas as they navigated their way to 0-48 after eight overs.

Wolvaardt received a life on 13 when Wareham put down a simple chance off Sutherland, but only added six runs to her tally before nicking off to Perry shortly before the drinks break, out for 19 from 28 deliveries.

Darcie Brown then secured the key wicket of Kapp (0), also caught behind, before Wareham’s introduction in the 12th over swung the momentum firmly in the favour of the Australians.

The leg-spinner bowled Brits for a 36-ball 45 with her first legal delivery, then had the ultra-powerful Chloe Tryon (1) caught by Alana King at mid-wicket off a full toss four balls later.

The Australian attack continued to squeeze the hosts, as a second dropped catch by Wareham – this one a tough, low chance – saved Sune Luus on six.

Schutt got her first with a piece of good fortune, as she struck Delmi Tucker (7) on the toe only for the ball to ricochet into the stumps, and Gardner's 50th career T20I wicket came as Luus (20 off 24) advanced down the track in the final over, only to be bowled as the Proteas finished on 6-124.

Annabel Sutherland replaced Healy – who missed a T20 World Cup game for the first time since debuting in 2010 – in the only change to the Australian XI.

Australia will fly back to Cape Town on Sunday where they will await the outcome of the remaining five group matches, which will determine the make-up of the semi-finals at Newlands on Thursday and Friday.

Australia XI: Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Meg Lanning (c), Ashleigh Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, Grace Harris, Georgia Wareham, Annabel Sutherland, Alana King, Megan Schutt, Darcie Brown.

South Africa XI: Laura Wolvaardt, Tazmin Brits, Marizanne Kapp, Sune Luus (c), Chloe Tryon, Delmi Tucker, Nadine de Klerk, Sinalo Jafta, Shabnam Ismail, Masabata Klaas, Nonkululeko Mlaba.

ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2023

Australia squad: Meg Lanning (c), Alyssa Healy (vc), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Heather Graham, Grace Harris, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham

Australia's T20 World Cup 2023 fixtures

Feb 11: beat New Zealand by 97 runs

Feb 14: beat Bangladesh by eight wickets

Feb 16: beat Sri Lanka by 10 wickets

Feb 18: beat South Africa by six wickets

Semi-finals

Feb 23: Australia v Group 2 runner-up, Newlands, Cape Town, 3pm local (12am Feb 24 AEDT)

Feb 24: Group 2 winner v Group 1 runner-up, Newlands, Cape Town, 3pm local (12am Feb 25 AEDT)

Final

Feb 26: Newlands, Cape Town, 3pm local (12am Feb 27 AEDT)