McGrath propels Australia to the semi-finals of the T20 World Championship

Mooney was off next, Kapps full length pinged her toe perpendicular lbw.

A seesaw after the first 10 overs for Australia ended with them placing 3-60 on the board.

Gardner and assistant vice-captain McGrath then took charge and used their luck early as their wild punches flew the edges beyond the patrolled areas.

Neither Pacer nor Spinner could silence McGrath.

The 27-year-old struck a series of fours on either side of the wicket from the start, the second of three in a brace in the 16th over, and hit her fifth T20I at fifty from just 29 balls.

A disciplined performance from Australia’s seven-pronged attack, including Wareham’s 3-0-18-2, previously limited South Africa to 6-124 after Lanning sent off the hosts.

Australia combined their superb ball performance with enviable field power, shaving at least 15 runs just by pushing the limits.

Annabel Sutherland, Healy’s substitute in fast conditions, could have had a wicket on her third ball.

But Wareham, stationed at short Midwicket, fired a direct catch from a Laura Wolvaardt pull, giving the opener a lifeline on the 13th.

The 23-year-old could only add another six runs to her tally when Perry made her nod a long ball.

Mooney, who was taking wicketkeeping duties in Healy’s absence, snagged it with ease to break the 54-run run-a-ball opening tally.

Wolvaardt’s wicket at the end of the ninth over set off a top-flight collapse, with South Africa losing four wickets in 18 balls for just 23 runs.

Darcie Brown, returning for her second and final spell, drew a thick edge from the first drop cap in the 11th over.

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Wareham then played her part with aplomb in the South African slide.

In a 12th double wicket from the 23-year-old legspinner, she first grazed the leg stump of Tazmin Brits, the opener’s offer to shuffle over to access the side of the leg, and came up with a cropper just five before a first international fifty.

Four balls later, she had Tryon intercept a copy of the pull Wareham Wolvaardt had stopped from the same position: short midwicket.

Gardner then found her 50th T20I wicket in opposing captain Sune Luus in the last over of the innings.