By Admin 
At the Holkar Stadium on Saturday, it was the Alana King show through and through.
Under leaden skies, the 29-year-old Australian leg-spinner teased and tormented South Africa with her beguiling craft, and finished with career-best returns of 7-2-18-7. Apart from producing the best bowling figures by an Australian woman in ODIs, it is also the first-ever seven-wicket haul in the 50-over event. At one stage of her spell, the figures of the Melbourne-born spinner, whose parents emigrated from Chennai, remarkably read 2.3-2-0-4.
King’s extraordinary display helped the Aussies bundle out Laura Wolvaardt and Co. for a paltry 97 in 24 overs, and stroll to a seven-wicket win. By securing top spot in the eight-team table, the defending champion has set up a clash with India in the second semifinal in Navi Mumbai on October 30. South Africa, meanwhile, will take on England in the first semifinal in Guwahati on October 29.
In the initial overs, Wolvaardt was in fine groove. The opener went after Megan Schutt with four boundaries in the third over. But with Tazmin Brits digging herself into a hole at the other end, the pressure eventually seemed to tell on Wolvaardt.
In the seventh over, she succumbed when a flick off Schutt was caught by King at midwicket. Brits followed Wolvaardt to the dressing room three overs later.
Thereafter, King set the stage alight. In her very first over, she struck twice. While Sune Luus dragged a slog sweep to Annabel Sutherland at mid-on, Marizanne Kapp was lured into slashing one to backward point. In her third over, she struck off consecutive deliveries, knocking over Annerie Dercksen’s leg stump before getting Chloe Tryon caught at midwicket. It was at this juncture that King had scalped four breakthroughs without yet conceding a run.
Sinalo Jafta tried to counterattack by hitting seven fours in a 17-ball 29. But as was the order of the day, she was one of four batters to have her stumps uprooted by King.
“I’m just happy to extract as much as I can out of the pitch. As a bowler, you always love wickets,” King beamed at the post-match presentation.
The scores:
South Africa 97 in 24 overs (Laura Wolvaardt 31, Alana King 7/18) lost to Australia 98/3 in 16.5 overs (Georgia Voll 38 n.o., Beth Mooney 42).
Toss: Australia; PoM: King.