SA vs AUS, WCL 2025 Highlights: How did AB de Villiers rise at the Crunch moment to send Proteas to the Final?

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Edgbaston reverberated with drama as South Africa Champions edged out Australia Champions by a nail-biting 1 run in the 2nd semi-final of the World Championship of Legends 2025.

With a packed stadium relishing the nostalgia of retired greats, the match lived up to its billing as a contest for the ages as the Proteas managed to prevaol against the Aussies.

South Africa elected to bat but suffered an early setback as skipper AB de Villiers was caught for just 6(4), falling to Peter Siddle. Far from derailing the team, it set the stage for a spectacular partnership: Morne van Wyk (76 off 35) and JJ Smuts (57 off 41) blitzed their way to a 96-run stand, punishing the bowlers with power and finesse. Despite the fireworks, South Africa lost momentum in the last two overs, slipping from 124/2 to finish on 186/8 after 20 overs-thanks to Siddle's masterful 4/30 spell.

Australia's reply was fierce, with Chris Lynn (35 off 20) and Shaun Marsh (25 off 17) giving them a solid platform. D'Arcy Short anchored the middle, and Dan Christian's late onslaught kept the match alive till the final ball. Requiring just three off the final delivery, the tension was sky-high.

How AB de Villiers rose to send South Africa to the Final

Although de Villiers did not fire with the bat, he stamped his authority at the biggest moment. With Australia needing two runs to tie and three to win off the last ball, a quick single became a desperate bid for a match-winning second run. AB de Villiers, patrolling long-on, swooped in and fired a perfect bullet throw to Wayne Parnell at the non-striker's end, running out Nathan Coulter-Nile by a whisker and sparking wild celebrations.

With the victory, South Africa will take on Pakistan in the WCL 2025 final, slated to be played on Saturday (August 2). Pakistan reached the final directly after India champions decided not to play semifinal against them.