SA U19s cruise past Australia to make ICC Women's T20 World Cup final

The Proteas U19 Women sealed a spot in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup final after beating Australia by five wickets in Friday's semi-final in Kuala Lumpur.

Spinner Ashleigh van Wyk was the hero, bagging 4/17 at the Bayuemas Oval as the SA U19s replicated the senior women's team by becoming T20 World Cup finalists for the first time.

Australia posted 105/8 off their allotted 20 overs, leaving South Africa with a meagre target which they chased down with relative ease.

It seemed like it would be a tricky run-chase at the start, though, with Chloe Ainsworth bowling opener Simone Lourens (5) and shortly thereafter Harast Gill (2/20) got the wicket of Fay Cowling (7).

However, opener Jemma Botha got the SA U19s going as she smashed five fours and two sixes to score 37 off 24 balls before driving to cover to hand Lucy Hamilton (2/17) her first scalp.

But runs kept flowing as captain Kayla Reyneke took the baton and made a run-a-ball 26, before a vital contribution from wicketkeeper-batter Karabo Meso (19) steered the SA women closer to the finish line.

Mieke van Voorst (8*) and Seshnie Naidu (2*) then got South Africa through to a maiden U19 Women's final with 11 balls to spare.

Reyneke's side will face the winner of Friday's second semi-final between defending champions India and England in Sunday's final. They will hope to emulate Aiden Markram's victorious side, who won the 2014 U19 ICC Cricket World Cup title.

South Africa are one step away from creating history ????#U19WorldCup pic.twitter.com/6tCrRciSm9

Earlier, having been asked to field first, the Proteas made an excellent start, as Nthabiseng Nini (1/18) struck in the first ball of the innings, trapping opener Ines McKeon lbw for a duck.

Nini's quick-thinking through her