Women's T20 World Cup 2026: Match 3, AUS W vs SA W Match Prediction – Who will win today’s match between Australia Women vs South Africa Women?

Six-time T20 champions Australia take on an in-form South Africa side in Match 3 of the 2026 Women's T20 World Cup at the iconic Old Trafford in Manchester. Both sides come into the tournament as two of the favourites to win the title based on their current form.

Australia suffered defeat at the hands of the Proteas in the semi-final of the 2024 Women's T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates. The team from Down Under will be in the race to win their seventh crown in the shortest format of the game and their first since 2023, when they defeated the same opposition.

South Africa, on the other hand, come into the tournament on the back of some great promise. They reached the finals not only at the 2023 and 2024 Women's T20 World Cups, but also at the 2025 Women's World Cup, losing all three. However, they beat India 4-1 in a five-match series earlier this year, putting them in a prime position to break their hoodoo.

Renowned for its pace and bounce, Old Trafford provides a sporting surface that benefits both batters and bowlers. Batters can expect to score quickly during the early stages of the game, but the slower bowlers and the spinners eventually do come into the game during the second innings.

Before the T20 World Cup, only two T20I matches had been played at Old Trafford, with India winning the last encounter by six wickets in 2025, chasing a mere 127.

Beth Mooney (WK), Georgia Voll, Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Ashleigh Gardner, Grace Harris, Georgia Wareham, Annabel Sutherland, Sophie Molineux (C), Kim Garth, Megan Schutt

Laura Wolvaardt (C), Sune Luus, Tazmin Brits, Dane van Niekerk, Marizanne Kapp, Nadine de Klerk, Chloe Tryon, Sinalo Jafta (WK), Shabnim Ismail, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Ayabonga Khaka

South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt is widely regarded as one of the best batters in the women's game. The 27-year-old has ended the last two Women's T20 World Cups as the leading run-scorer, having scored 230 and 223 runs in 2023 and 2024, respectively. She recently had a series of her lifetime against India, guiding the Proteas to a 4-1 win whilst scoring 330 runs at an average of 82.50, including a century and a score in the 90s.

Megan Schutt is set to retire from international ICC tournaments at the end of the 2026 Women's T20 World Cup in England. The 33-year-old, however, has come into the tournament in good form. She recently picked up two wickets against South Africa and England in two warm-up matches in Arundel and Cardiff, respectively.