In a visibly emotional post-match interview, Australia's stand-in captain Tahlia McGrath expressed her disappointment following her team's semifinal loss to South Africa in the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024. "Full credit to South Africa; they outplayed us tonight," McGrath remarked after the match held on October 17 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
The six-time champions Australia faced an unforgiving challenge as South Africa, successful in their toss decision, put them to bat first. Australia struggled, managing only 134 runs, while South Africa chased these down with ease, winning by eight wickets with 2.4 overs to spare. This match marked a significant rematch from the finals of the 2023 tournament, where Australia had triumphed over the Proteas.
Reflecting on her team's performance, McGrath acknowledged, "It's going to be pretty hard to take. We just didn't really show up tonight." She emphasised the rigorous preparation leading up to the tournament, noting that they had anticipated this moment for a long time but fell short during the crucial game.
Despite a challenging outing, McGrath praised South Africa's effective bowling strategy, which had kept the Australian batters on the back foot. Anneke Bosch's impressive unbeaten 74 highlighted South Africa's strong performance. "They bowled exceptionally well, and it made it tough for us to take risks," McGrath concluded, acknowledging her opponents' skilful execution.