Meg Lanning drags Australia through tense semi-final to set up MCG showdown with India

Lanning made an unbeaten 49 before leading her side in the field as Australia defended a reduced target of 98 in 13 overs

• Women's T20 World Cup hub
• Heather Knight hoping for reserve day regulation change after semi-final disappointment

Australia will face India in the T20 World Cup final after edging past South Africa in a rain-affected semi-final at the SCG.

After the first semi-final between England and India had been abandoned due to persistent rain, the start of the second game was also delayed as groundstaff got to work on preparing an outfield that – for long periods of the day – had not looked like seeing any cricket.

And 33 overs later – after more poor weather had seen South Africa’s chase reduced to a 13-over sprint, Meg Lanning’s Australia crept home, in spite of Laura Wolvaardt’s best efforts. The right-hander made a fine unbeaten 41 as she carried her side’s hopes on her own through the latter end of a dramatic evening.

Lizelle Lee and Dane van Niekerk had both been dismissed inside a reduced powerplay, with van Niekerk’s side needing 98 to win in their allotted overs. But once the experienced pair had fallen and Mignon du Preez followed without scoring, the Proteas were always behind the rate, even with Wolvaardt and Sune Luus doing all they could to drag South Africa to a first ever final.

However, as the spin of Sophie Molineux and Jess Jonassen was dispatched expensively, Megan Schutt and Delissa Kimmince – the two seamers in Ellyse Perry’s absence – did a fine job, conceding just 33 runs from their six overs combined.

Earlier, Australia had hauled themselves to 134 for 5 – a total that felt like a fine effort in surreal circumstances. After all the rain earlier in the day, the crowd was slim in number and the constant threat of further showers added an edgy tension to proceedings.

^{Laura Wolvaardt made 41* for South Africa}

With Perry out for the rest of the tournament, there was huge pressure on the top order to score the bulk of the runs. When Alyssa Healy slapped Shabnim Ismail over cover in the first over; it was a signal of intent from the Australian wicketkeeper.

Beth Mooney, her opening partner, would soon join her in attacking – the pair put on 34 inside five overs for the first wicket, before Healy clipped Ayabonga Khaka to Dane van Niekerk at midwicket.

Mooney would then follow with the score doubled, clean bowled by the impressive Nadine de Klerk, who was only involved because of Marizanne Kapp’s failure to recover from a viral illness.

That was the first of three wickets for the 20-year-old seamer; moments after Jess Jonassen mishit Nonkululeko Mlaba to long-on, de Klerk enticed Ashleigh Gardner – dropped down the order in Perry’s absence – to edge behind.

It was left, then, to Lanning and Rachael Haynes to rebuild the innings. By the time Haynes was bowled by de Klerk, Australia had reached three figures.

With Nicola Carey for company, Lanning then began to dominate. She would ultimately finish unbeaten on 49 – a captain’s contribution worth far more than its numerical value.