ESPNcricinfo Awards Women's T20I bowling winner: Khaka shines at the crunch

4 for 29 vs England, T20 World Cup semi-final, Cape Town

South Africa made history when they reached the final of a World Cup for the first time - that too on home soil. They had a collective bowling effort, headlined by Khaka, to thank for that.

With the ghosts of three semi-final defeats to England in ICC tournaments hovering, the top order were resolute in scoring 164. But with six wickets still in hand, South Africa appeared to have left some runs out there. England's rollicking start of 50 in under five overs seemed to confirm that. But Shabnim Ismail, in what would be her last international match, and Tazmin Brits tag-teamed to remove Sophia Dunkley and Alice Capsey in the space of three balls, and that was the opening South Africa needed.

Danni Wyatt was joined by Nat Sciver-Brunt and they put on 32 for the third wicket when Khaka, who had been taken for ten off her first over and 12 off her second, was reintroduced. She used her variations skilfully to remove Wyatt and put the brakes on England just after the halfway point in the chase. But it was not until the 18th over that Khaka truly stepped into the spotlight.

England needed 28 to win and she was given the ball. Her first delivery was full; Amy Jones drove but could not get elevation and was caught at cover. Khaka kept pitching it up and conceded a single and a wide off the next three balls. Tensions rose. Then, she delivered it slow and full and Sophie Ecclestone, frustrated by the lack of pace, sliced to cover. Her final ball was full and fired in at Katherine Sciver-Brunt's pads, where it struck her in front of middle and leg as she came down the track. Khaka had three wickets in the over, four overall, at an economy of 7.25.

Most importantly, Khaka left Marizanne Kapp and Shabnim Ismail 24 to defend off the last two overs, and though Kapp's over cost 12, last over went for six. South Africa won a nail-biting contest by six runs and became the darlings of a nation, going where no senior side South African side of either gender had gone before. Two days later they lost the final to Australia, but over the course of the two-week tournament, they won hearts, minds and everything else.

England were going well at 85 for 2 in the 11th over when Khaka was brought back for a second one-over spell. She took pace off the ball, forced Danni Wyatt into playing the pull a fraction of a second too early, and Tazmin Brits, at fine leg, pulled off a sliding catch to confirm the breakthrough. Wyatt was on 34 off 29 balls at the time and her dismissal broke England's momentum. They went on to lose six wickets for 68.

3 The number of wickets Khaka took in her last over and the runs she conceded in it.

1 The number of T20I four-wicket hauls Khaka had before the semi-final

"We do have the best bowling in the world but it was against the best batting attack in the world. We kept saying to them they need to be brave and play free cricket. She is a phenomenal bowler, one of the best in the world, and she showed her class today."
- Suné Luus, South Africa captain

Ashleigh Gardner
5 for 12 vs New Zealand, T20 World Cup, Paarl
Serial champions Australia began their title defence with a crunch clash against their neighbours, New Zealand, and immediately announced their dominance. Put in to bat, Australia scored 173 for 9 and defended it emphatically to win by 97 runs. Megan Schutt removed New Zealand's most experienced players, Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates, in the opening over and Gardner completed a demolition job of the lower and middle order, starting in the ninth over. She bowled Amelia Kerr with a delivery that kept low to spark a collapse that saw New Zealand lose 6 for 25. Gardner's sharp spin got her two wickets in each of her second and third overs, and ended New Zealand's miserable tournament opener in 14 overs.