England skipper Knight admits to crowd pressure after Proteas upset at Newlands

England captain Heather Knight admits that the Newlands faithful helped the Proteas seal a semi-final Women's T20 World Cup win on Friday.

England fell six runs short as the Proteas booked their place in their first-ever World Cup final.

READ | Proteas hero Brits in dreamland after semi-final heroics: 'I'm still going to need to wake up' 

Chasing 165 to reach the final, the tourists got off to a belter of a start thanks to opening pair Danni Wyatt and Sophia Dunkley's 53-run partnership.

However, England lost two quick wickets courtesy of fast bowler Shabnim Ismail, who got the wickets of Dunkley (28) and Alice Capsey (0).

It seemed like England were always in control as they kept above the run rate, but momentum suddenly shifted. 

With the majority of the 7 547 fans cheering the hosts on, the Proteas put England under pressure as they took wickets at regular intervals.

Knight shared a 47-run partnership with Nat Sciver-Brunt, who top-scored with 40 before the wickets tumbled. 

Seamer Ayabonga Khaka took three wickets in her final over Amy Jones (2), Sophie Ecclestone (1) and Katherine Sciver-Brunt (0) as England was restricted to 158-8.

Knight, who scored 31 off 25 balls, insists that this defeat to South Africa does not define her team as they were put under pressure at Newlands.

"We certainly believed as a side that we could win and certainly at halftime. I think the crowd behind them was certainly a factor. You certainly felt it as the opposition," Knight told reporters on Friday.

"They (South Africa) held their nerve pretty well. Their bowlers took it as deep as they could."

Knight hailed the first-ever Women's World Cup on African soil and said it might be a good thing for the Proteas to go all the way against defending