The former Free State and North West batter, Anneke Bosch, is delighted to have been able to steer South Africa into the final of the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup in Dubai.

On Thursday night the 31-year-old played the best innings of her career with an unbeaten 74-runs off 48-balls to help the Proteas to a resounding 8-wicket against Australia in the semi-final. This was also arguably the biggest win in history for the South Africa women as the Australian are serial winners at major events. Australia has won the last seven Women’s T20 World Cups, of which the last was in South Africa in February 2023, when they beat the Proteas by 19-runs in the final at Newlands in Cape Town.

Since then, the Proteas won only one series and that was last month in Multan when they beat Pakistan in the lead up to the World Cup.

Bosch, who by her own admission hasn’t had the best tournament, blasted eight fours and a six as South Africa beat the team from Down Under for the first time ever in a World Cup. Bosch said she is just delighted to have hit form when it mattered most.

“It hasn't been the best tournament for me so far and I think the mindset was a bit different than normally,” said Bosch.

“I think if you come off a few bad games, you kind of know that it can't get any worse. You just go at it, you still stay positive and you try to score as quickly as you can to put the team in a good position. Sometimes it comes off, sometimes it doesn't, but I think it's for me, it's more of a mindset thing and being in the right state of mind when I go out and bat.

Bosch added that she is just incredibly proud of the effort by the team as a collective, while she believes that they haven’t played their perfect game despite a 10-wicket drubbing of the West Indies and Thursday night’s outstanding performance with bat and ball.

Anneke Bosch and Chloe Tryon. Photo: Cricinfo

“I’m just incredibly proud of everyone and the team for just the way that we approached this whole World Cup, as well as how we've played throughout the tournament,” said the Titans player.

“I think we kind of said we haven't played our best game yet and probably still haven't but hopefully we're leaving it for the final.

We’re really happy and we had this belief that we can do it, and I'm really glad we could get over the line today.

On Friday, New Zealand and the West Indies will battle it out in the second semi-final, and the winner will go up against the Proteas on Sunday in Dubai.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek