Australia captain Pat Cummins is sure the five-time World Cup winners can use past experience of the big occasion to their advantage when they take on South Africa in Kolkata.
Cummins’ side are on a roll since losing against tournament hosts India and their opponents on Thursday, winning their remaining seven group-stage matches to storm into yet another semi-final.
South Africa might have prevailed in Lucknow and in an ODI series between the teams in September, but Australia have significantly more experience than the Proteas in the knockouts of a major tournament.
Cummins, David Warner, Steve Smith, Mitch Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood were part of the 2015 trophy-winning campaign as well as the T20 World Cup triumph two years ago.
The Australia captain said: “What helps us is we’ve got a lot of guys that have been in this situation before that have won one-day World Cup, T20 World Cup, various other tournaments in big moments.
“You can draw on that in the middle of the contest. Obviously you start from scratch every time you play. They’re a team we’ve played quite a lot and know quite well.
“But this week it’s probably going to be quite different to say the South African series that we just played against them a couple of months ago.”
Australia memorably knocked out South Africa at the same stage in 1999 at Edgbaston, where a tied match went the way of Steve Waugh’s side because they finished higher in the group stage on net run-rate.
The finale is one of the most replayed of all-time as Allan Donald was chaotically run out, despite South Africa still having two balls in which to get the solitary run they needed for victory.
Cummins said: “It’s kind of folklore, isn’t it? I’ve seen that replay heaps of times, you hear the stories.”
Australia have steadily grown in confidence in India, emboldened by Maxwell’s rescue act against Afghanistan as his 201 not out secured a dramatic win and was widely hailed as the best ODI knock ever.
Marsh ensured a seventh straight victory with an unbeaten 177 against Bangladesh, so Australia will head into their Eden Gardens showdown with plenty of optimism.
Cummins added: “As a team you grow an extra leg because you feel like you can win a match from anywhere and having someone like Maxi in your team is just a complete luxury. He’s a superstar, he’s a freak.”
England and Australia series drawn as third T20I washed out
England's T20I series with Australia ended in a draw after Sunday's scheduled third match at Old Trafford was washed out.
Australia won the first T20I comfortably in Southampton on Wednesday, only for the hosts to level things up with a three-wicket triumph in Cardiff on Friday.
However, there was to be no decider on Sunday as heavy rain continued throughout the day in Manchester, with the match abandoned following an afternoon pitch inspection.
Both teams' attention will now switch to the first of their five ODI meetings, which is scheduled for Trent Bridge on Thursday.
England captain Jos Buttler will again be absent for the ODIs, having failed to recover from a right calf injury.
Harry Brook will lead the team in his absence, just 18 months on from his first England appearance in the format.
After the match at Trent Bridge, the teams will face off at Headingley, Durham, Lord's and Bristol, with the final encounter taking place on September 29.
de Kock plunders 115 as Royals defeat Amazon Warriors to go top of CPL standings
Quinton de Kock pummelled Guyana Amazon Warriors with a brilliant century as Barbados Royals recorded a 32-run victory at Kensington Oval on Saturday to move to the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League's (CPL) top spot.
After the Warriors elected to bowl, de Kock dominated the Royals' total of 205-6 and batted almost through the innings to compile an outstanding 115 off 68 balls.
Left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj claimed three wickets as the Warriors finished well short on 173-5 to slump to their first loss of the season.
After a heartbreaking two-wicket defeat to Trinbago Knight Riders the night earlier, the Royals rejigged their batting order with Kadeem Alleyne replacing Rahkeem Cornwall.
Alleyne enjoyed the promotion and monstered a couple of massive sixes, including off Moeen Ali who made his CPL debut. But his whirlwind 22 off nine balls ended in the third over when he holed out to quick Dwaine Pretorius.
After a cautious start, de Kock took over with a calculated assault on Shamar Joseph in the seventh over. But Joseph, desperate to rediscover his best form, hit back after striking de Kock on the body in a painful blow.
The South African shook off the discomfort and rolled to his half-century off 34 balls. He particularly enjoyed hitting straight down the ground, highlighted by smacking a slower delivery back over the head of left-arm seamer Raymon Reifer.
Wickets fell around de Kock, who appeared to be batting on a different surface as he reached his century off 60 balls. He joined Evin Lewis as the only batters to hit a ton so far in this season's CPL.
De Kock hit a couple of more sixes before falling with three balls left in the innings. After struggling with the ball at the death against the Knight Riders, a determined Jason Holder smashed three sixes in a row in the penultimate over off seamer Keemo Paul.
Holder's mood continued to brighten after he claimed Warriors opener Azam Khan with his first delivery in the second over. The Warriors' chase stuttered when a frustrated Tim Robinson was stumped after being deceived by a flighted delivery from Maharaj.
Shimron Heytmeyer started with consecutive sixes off Maharaj and then smashed another one into the crowd on the resumption from a one-hour rain delay.
But Maharaj exacted revenge by enticing a false shot from Hetmyer in the ninth over as the Warriors' chase fell away despite cameos from Moeen, Paul and captain Shai Hope.
The Royals moved to 4-1 and replaced the Warriors (3-1) at the top of the table.
Hosein shines with bat and ball to lead TKR to last-ball win over Barbados Royals
Terrance Hinds smashed a six off the penultimate delivery as Trinbago Knight Riders ended Barbados Royals’ unbeaten record in the 2024 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) after a nerve-jangling two-wicket victory at Kensington Oval on Friday.
Chasing 157, the Knight Riders needed 11 runs off the final over and appeared headed for defeat when Akeal Hosein fell off the third delivery with six runs still required.
But Jason Holder bowled a waist high full toss and on the subsequent delivery Hinds whacked a six down the ground off the free hit. The Knight Riders now move alongside the Royals with a 3-1 record.
The Royals had struggled to handle Knight Riders’ spinners and managed to post 156/7 thanks to an unbeaten 59 from 38 balls from skipper Rovman Powell.
The Knight Riders, last year’s finalists, elected to field and looked to continue their dominance over the Royals having beaten them twice last season.
The Royals made a disastrous start when opener Rahkeem Cornwall made his third straight duck after falling off the second delivery of the innings. Hosein struck again just two balls later when he trapped Alick Athanaze for a duck.
Quinton de Kock and Rivaldo Clarke consolidated before the South African was knocked over by a perfect wrong’un from Waqar Salamkheil to halt the Royals, who soon lost Holder for a duck.
The Royals struggled for boundaries in the middle overs before David Miller collared Hosein with a massive six over extra cover in the 13th over. Miller’s cameo ended at the hands of Salamkheil, who finished with a superb 3/13.
Powell had little of the strike before taking over with a slew of sixes, including off seamer Jayden Seales in the last over to reach his half-century in style.
The Knight Riders, who had strategised chasing amid dewy conditions, similarly had a poor start when Sunil Narine holed out to spinner Maheesh Theekshana on the first ball.
Opener Jason Roy started with a couple of glorious drives before being bamboozled by Theekshana to leave the contest delicately poised. After a brief rain delay, Shaqkere Parris was dropped on nine by Holder off Theekshana as Nicholas Pooran took control to steady the Knight Riders.
But his breezy 23-ball 35 ended with a spectacular double act in the deep when Powell caught the ball before flicking it to Holder just before he went over the boundary.
Parris had support from Keacy Carty as the Knight Riders appeared well on track needing 51 off 36 balls. The reintroduction of Theekshana in the 15th over did the trick as he lured Parris into a false shot triggering a collapse from the Knight Riders.
It set up a grandstand finish until Hinds’ late heroics stunned the local fans.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
