The Proteas thrashed Bangladesh by 10 wickets at Newlands on Tuesday to qualify for the Women’s T20 World Cup semi-finals.

Bangladesh were restricted to 113-6, before Laura Wolvaardt (66* off 56 balls) and Tazmin Brits (50* off 51) secured victory for the Proteas with 13 balls to spare.

South Africa will face England in Cape Town on Friday, with Australia taking on India in the first semi-final on Thursday.

It was a less-than-imposing performance by the host nation in the field against a team that had lost all three of their previous matches.

No batter was able to score more than captain Nigar Sultana’s 30 but aggressive running between wickets enabled Bangladesh to keep the score moving, aided by some nervy errors in the field by South Africa.

Seam bowlers Marizanne Kapp and Ayabonga Khaka took two wickets each.

There were anxious moments for the Proteas at the start of their innings.

Marufa Akter, Bangladesh’s impressive 18-year-old opening bowler, beat Wolvaardt with the first two balls of the innings, swinging the ball into the batter’s pads.

She won an appeal for lbw with the second delivery but a review showed the ball was swinging past leg stump.

Brits was dropped off Nahida Akter in the next over and Wolvaardt should have been run out in the third over when both batters found themselves at the same end, only for Bangladesh to botch their fielding effort.

Only nine runs were scored off the first four overs. Wolvaardt hit a six off Akter in the fifth over but the total was only 42-0 after 10 overs.

The two batters gradually found their timing, however, although Brits survived a straightforward stumping chance and another catching opportunity before victory was achieved.

© Agence France-Presse