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South Africa defeated Australia by five wickets in the first semi-final and secured their spot in the Women's Under-19 T20 World Cup final for the first time thanks to a four-wicket haul from Ashleigh van Wyk and a blistering 24-ball 37 from opener Jemma Botha. Australia chose to play in sunny Kuala Lumpur, and they were immediately at a disadvantage when quick bowler Nthabiseng Nini trapped Ines McKeon leg before wicket on the opening delivery. At the bowler's end, skipper Lucy Hamilton's punch bounced off Nini's fingers onto the non-striker's stumps, and Grace Lyons, who had been promoted up the order, was run out after backing up too far. The South African bowlers, Hamilton and Caoimhe Bray, were cautious and stuck to a wicket-to-wicket line. Only halfway through the fifth over did Australia score their first boundary, but Hamilton soon added a couple more off Nini. Then South Africa's skipper, Kayla Reyneke, missed a sweep and hit in her opening over, putting her opposite number in front of the stumps. Australia failed to score a boundary in 7.3 overs while South Africa put on a spin strangle. In 47 balls, Bray and Eleanor Larosa combined for 27 runs for the fourth wicket. After Larosa was dismissed by a spectacular return catch by Seshnie Naidu, van Wyk took charge and destroyed the Australia lower middle order, taking four wickets in three overs. For Australia to reach 105 for 8 on a strong batting strip, Ella Briscoe's undefeated 17-ball 27 was essential. It wasn't anticipated that South Africa's pursuit would be easy against an Australian attack that hadn't given up more than 100 points during the tournament. But Botha wasted little time. Botha started out by hitting back-to-back fours against Larosa in the opening over, batting far down the track to nullify any movement. A Chloe Ainsworth in-ducker quickly defeated Simone Lorens, who also began with a four. However, Botha was unstoppable. South Africa quickly reached 50 for 2 in six overs thanks to he

Fast bowler Ben Sears, who signed with Yorkshire for the 2025 campaign, will get there in time for the team's second County Championship match of the year at Headingley against Worcestershire. When Sears, 27, took five wickets at Christchurch in 2024 against Australia, including four for ninety in the second innings, he demonstrated his raw pace for New Zealand. This was his lone Test match yet. Previously, in 2021, he made his T20I debut against Bangladesh. The club has also drawn comparisons with his countryman and former Yorkshire foreign star Lockie Ferguson. He will be joined at Headingley by fellow New Zealand fast Will O'Rourke, who has signed for the T20 Blast. "I can't wait to get over to Headingley and start playing with the guys," commented Sears. "I hope I can add to the fantastic signings that have already been made. In any season, it's critical to establish the mood early. There are several important games in that first block, and I'll be prepared to start the team as strongly as possible. "Ben is a true talent who can get some extra bounce when he bowls," stated head coach Anthony McGrath. I'm eager to get him over and begin working with him because he'll be a real handful during the early part of the year when pitches can be slower or greener." Cricket General Manager Gavin Hamilton also said: "The club's ability to draw in such gifted bowlers as Ben is evidence of Yorkshire's appeal on a global scale. Ben is a talented player who will add something extra to the team that will be vital this season. We are overjoyed that he has committed, and we can't wait to have him visit Headingley in April.