Australia started this World Cup with losses to India and South Africa, and after rattling off seven straight wins, have the chance to avenge one in the hopes of making the final.
FOLLOW ALL THE ACTION LIVE AS IT HAPPENS
9:35PM: ZAMPA TIME, GOOD CALL OR BAD CALL?
Straight out of the break, Pat Cummins turns to his star spinner Adam Zampa.
You almost wonder whether they wanted to keep going with Mitch Starc and put the foot to the throat.
We know Zampa however has been able to both get wickets and keep the runs at a low rate.
Straight away he’s been on the money, where earlier in the tournament he was taking a few overs to get in the groove.
Cummins has however, decided to get Josh Hazlewood on after the restart, possibly to save Starc and himself for closer to an innings end if there is one?
I’m sure Cummins like all Aussie cricket fans is hoping this does not get near the 50-over mark, so as to avoid any issue with some rain.
And David Miller says time to get going, whacking Zampa for 6 over mid-on.
South Africa have hit the half-century mark, the second-slowest fifty of the tournament so far.
South Africa are 4/55 after 17 overs.
9:15PM: RAIN, RAIN GO AWAY ETC, ETC
You know the drizzle you walk to work from the train station in, then when you get into work you look dry, that’s what’s happening in Kolkata from all reports.
Which a) is promising and b) really annoying, with the hot start the Aussies have made.
The bright side of all of this, we can reflect on this exciting start from Australia, with Hazlewood and Starc bowling to almost their Test level, combined with some exceptional fielding.
The covers look to be coming off with South African 4/44 off 14 overs.
Play will restart at 9:25pm AEDT.
8:50PM: AND HERE COMES THE FUN-STEALER
Well, South Africa hit a couple of boundaries and Mother Nature says no that’s enough here comes the rain.
The covers are on in Kolkata, however only a small shower is expected.
However the rain has not been enough to quiten a ferocious crowd, who are almost epitomising the fielding we have seen from Australia to start this game.
Could this put an end to the roll the Aussies were on and given the reeling batting side the break they needed?
8:35PM: SOUTH AFRICA’S WORLD CUP SEMI MISERY ROLLS
AND AGAIN! Hazlewood is relentless.
Pat Cummins took a chance keeping his spearheads on and it has paid off enormously.
Rassie van der Dussen has to go, caught at second slip by Steve Smith who half caught it and half-wedged it between his legs, but they all count.
Can’t quite say South Africa are known for their exploits in semi-finals in a positive way, but boy oh boy this is another level.
You often see sides losing wickets consistently while still keeping the runs flowing, but this almost feels like an Ashes game where it’s all in favour of the bowling side.
Can they find an answer or will this be wrapped up quickly?
The skipper Pat Cummins will come into the attack with South Africa already four down with a mere 34 runs on the board.
8:20PM: KOLKATA PRESSURE COOKER
It took 52 balls, but we have a boundary in this game thanks to Markram, but these first 10 overs have been a bowling and fielding clinic by Australia.
Fielding was something of a worry to start this tournament, but the Aussies have really ramped it up as they started to compile wins.
This has been vintage Hazlewood and Starc, tightening the screws on their opponents, with the occasional Starc loosener but it’s par for the course.
The moisture in the surface has given the Aussies plenty more bounce compared to the last game at Kolkata.
There’s been some movement off the seam too, particularly for Hazlewood.
After 10 overs, South Africa have made only 18 runs!!
And now Markram goes, what is happening here?!?!?!
8:00PM: GOOD TOSS TO LOSE????
Well with the possibility of rain you probably wanted to bat, however, this deck looks to have a bit of juice in it early on.
Could be the earliest of assumptions once these balls soften a little but alas!
Right now the Aussies are operating under total cloud coverage.
Josh Hazlewood has been able to get some serious bounce off the wicket, flying through to Inglis at head-height on multiple occasions.
The big Hoff has been operating at that 7m length consistently, a vintage touch.
The covers being on for so long due to the potential rain may have just kept a ton of moisture in this pitch.
It’s been tough sledding for South Africa early, managing just six runs off the first four overs, a mixture of tight bowling and some great fielding early on, particularly from David Warner and Glenn Maxwell on the off-side.
And the danger man is gone !!!!!
The consistency has gotten to Quinton de Kock, who went for one on a good length from Hazlewood, and trying to get on the front foot hits one straight into the air.
Pat Cummins settles under it at mid-on and takes a great catch.
What a start this is indeed.
7:40PM: THE WORLD CUP MASTER STRIKES EARLY
Mitch Starc has not had the tournament he would have liked, but he gets a dream start in the semi-final, knocking over the South African skipper with the sixth ball of the game.
A vintage Starc delivery drifts across the right-hander, thick edge and safely into the hands of Josh Inglis.
What a start to this one!
Bavuma battled hamstring concerns all week, at least for batting purposes that won’t be an issue now.
van der Dussen comes to the crease, who has played exceptionally across the tournament.
No secret of course, but Quinton de Kock is the wicket all Aussie cricket fans will be chasing early on.
The left-hander has been sensational at this tournament, whacking four centuries across the competition, including a 109 against Australia in Lucknow.
7:15PM: MARNUS WINS SELECTION BATTLE IN HUGE SEMI-FINAL CALL
Marnus Labuschagne has won the selection battle over Marcus Stoinis for the final spot in Australia’s XI for the World Cup semi-final.
Australia has chosen to go for extra batting depth over an additional all-rounder.
It is overcast but the rain has stayed away for now.
Mitchell Starc and Glenn Maxwell return at the expense of Stoinis and Sean Abbott.
South Africa will bat first after winning the toss, with weather coming into some consideration of Temba Bavuma’s decision.
South Africa has made one change, dropping Lungi Ngidi for Tabraiz Shamsi.
Aussie skipper Pat Cummins said he would have batted if he had won the toss.
Labuschagne is an incredible story. Missed out on the 18-man squad and about to play his 18th straight ODI since that squad was named.
Unfortunately for Stoinis he just hasn’t contributed consistently enough with bat or ball to demand a spot in the XI. He has left himself vulnerable and it has cost him in the end.
For all the talk of splitting formats, Australia’s XI for the World Cup semi-final features eight of those who played the fifth Test at The Oval in late July.
Battle on two fronts: Australia’s plan for SA, rain revealed
A developing cyclone in the Bay of Bengal has threatened to derail Australia’s tilt for a sixth World Cup crown, with rain forecast at stages on both Thursday, the day of the match, and the reserve day on Friday.
Should tonight’s World Cup semi-final match be washed out, South Africa would advance as the higher-ranked side from the league phase – with the winner to take on India, after their demolition of New Zealand last night.
But captain Pat Cummins said Australia would not premeditate the weather, playing the scenario as it comes.
“One website tells you something, and another website tells you the opposite. It’s something you think about,” Cummins said.
“We’ll turn up, expect to play a 50-over match, and if that shifts on us well (we’ll deal with it).”
Meanwhile, Cummins says his players will draw on experience from previous title wins in the clash with South Africa, spurred on by Glenn Maxwell’s heroics having given them “an extra leg”.
Five-time winners Australia went down to the Proteas in the league stage by 134 runs before they won seven straight matches to make the semi-final in Kolkata on Thursday.
Australia, who lost an ODI series in South Africa in September, have beaten their rivals twice in World Cup semi-finals.
“You start from scratch every time you play,” Cummins said.
“They’re a team we’ve played quite a lot and know quite well.
“I think what helps us is we’ve got a lot of guys that have been in this situation before that have won the one-day World Cup, T20 World Cup, various other tournaments in big moments.
“So, I think that really helps. You can draw on that in the middle of the contest.”
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