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Sixteen teams battled fiercely on the grand stage, and now only four remain in the race for the ICC Women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup 2025 title! The first semi-final promises an electrifying clash as South Africa Women Under-19 take on Australia Women Under-19 at the Bayuemas Oval in Kuala Lumpur. Australia, a dominant force throughout the tournament, cruised through the early stages unbeaten before suffering a shocking defeat against Sri Lanka in their previous game, a result that may have shaken their confidence ahead of this crucial encounter. While their batting vulnerabilities have surfaced in patches, their last outing was a nightmare they will be desperate to forget as they step into this high-pressure match with a renewed mindset. The Aussies boast an explosive opening duo in Kate Pelle and Ines McKeon, who have consistently provided strong starts, but their middle order has faltered more often than they would like. Skipper, Lucy Hamilton has been a key anchor in the batting unit, yet much more will be expected from the rest of the lineup, particularly against quality spin. On the bowling front, Hasrat Gill and Tegan Williamson have been among the wickets, but the entire attack will need to be at its sharpest if they are to regain control on this massive occasion. On the other hand, South Africa Women Under-19 have had a rather unusual journey to the semi-finals, having not played a single full 40-over game in the tournament so far. Either they have wrapped up matches too quickly against lower-ranked opponents, or rain has intervened to curtail their games, denying them valuable time in the middle. Their last group-stage fixture against the USA was washed out without a ball being bowled, leaving them short on match practice heading into this all-important clash. While this lack of game time could be a disadvantage in a high-stakes fixture, South Africa have shown immense promise in the limited opportunities they have had. The top order, led by Jemma Botha and Simone Lourens, has been among the runs, although their middle order remains relatively untested. With the ball, Kayla Reyneke has been a standout performer, alongside Monalisa Legodi, both of whom will have crucial roles to play in containing Australia’s batting firepower. While both teams bring their own strengths and weaknesses, making them evenly matched on paper, this semi-final is set to be an absolute thriller where nerves and composure will determine who punches their ticket to the grand finale.