South Africa Champions stormed into the semi-finals of the 2025 World Championship of Legends with a 95-run victory over Australia Champions in Match 12 at Headingley, Leeds. Batting first, they put up a huge total of 241/6 in 20 overs thanks to AB de Villiers's explosive innings of 123 runs off 46 balls. He was well supported by JJ Smuts, who scored a solid 85 off 53 deliveries, building a 200+ partnership. Australia’s bowlers struggled to contain the carnage, with Peter Siddle (3/38) the only standout. Brett Lee and Daniel Christian picked up one wicket each but went for plenty.

In reply, the Australia Champions never got going and were bowled out for 146 in 16.4 overs. Ben Cutting top-scored with a quickfire 59 off 29, but lacked support at the other end. South Africa’s bowlers dominated the innings, with Aaron Phangiso (4/13) delivering a match-winning spell. Imran Tahir (3/27) and Wayne Parnell (2/14) played a key role. With the win, South Africa finished the group stage with 8 points and got through to the semi-finals. Pakistan and Australia also qualified, making three confirmed semi-finalists after Match 12.

WCL 2025 Points Table (After Match 12):

See Also: WCL 2025, Match 12: South Africa Champions vs Australia Champions full match highlights

Top Performers – WCL 2025

Most Runs:

• AB de Villiers (SACH) – 305 runs, Avg 152.50, SR 232.82
• Chadwick Walton (WICH) – 152 runs, Avg 50.67, SR 149.02
• Kamran Akmal (PAKCH) – 138 runs, Avg 46.00, SR 162.35
• JJ Smuts (SACH) – 129 runs, Avg 32.25, SR 157.32
• Chris Lynn (AUSCH) – 106 runs, Avg 35.33, SR 278.95

Most Wickets:

• Aaron Phangiso (SACH) – 9 wickets, Econ 4.89
• Imran Tahir (SACH) – 7 wickets, Econ 6.00
• Peter Siddle (AUSCH) – 7 wickets, Econ 7.13
• Wayne Parnell (SACH) – 7 wickets, Econ 8.08
• Fidel Edwards (WICH) – 6 wickets, Econ 6.40

At Headingley, Leeds, the South Africa Champions dominated with both bat and ball to register a massive 95-run win over the Australia Champions in Match 12 of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025. After winning the toss and electing to bat first, South Africa posted a mammoth 241/6 in their 20 overs, thanks to a record-breaking opening stand and a second consecutive century from AB de Villiers. 

South Africa Champions Innings

AB de Villiers was fabulous again, scoring the second successive century on Sunday. The Proteas legend smashed 123 runs off just 46 balls, with 15 fours and 8 sixes as part of a dazzling display of power hitting. He was ably supported by JJ Smuts, who struck a fluent 85 off 53 balls as the duo added 174 runs for the first wicket. Jean Paul Duminy added a quick 16 off 9 to finish strongly. Despite some fightback from Australia’s bowlers—Peter Siddle (3/38), Brett Lee (1/38), and Daniel Christian (1/41)—South Africa cruised to 241/6 in their 20 overs.

Australia Champions Innings

In response, Australia Champions never seemed to be in command of the challenging pursuit and were bowled out for 146 off 16.4 overs. Ben Cutting remained not out with 59 off 29, while Peter Siddle (19 off 17) and Shaun Marsh (18 off 13) provided support for a while. South African bowling was dominated by captain Aaron Phangiso, who registered a match-winning 4/13 off 3.4 overs. Imran Tahir strangled the Aussies with 3/27 and Wayne Parnell also contributed 2/14 in an over. With this win, the South Africa Champions qualify for the semi-finals of WCL 2025.

See Also: WCL 2025: Points Table, Leading run scorers and wicket takers after SACH vs AUSCH match 12

South Africa Champions vs Australia Champions: Scorecard

South Africa Champions – 241/6 (20 Overs)

Australia Champions – 146/10 (16.4 Overs)