Paulsen’s all-round display sends Australia into Over-40s World Cup final

Steve Paulsen took five wickets and struck a half-century as Australia defeated South Africa by four wickets at the GCC Ground, Bourda, on Thursday to reach the final of the IMC Over-40s Cricket World Cup.

Paulsen claimed 5–50 before scoring 64 from 74 balls, helping Australia reach 235–6 in 43.5 overs in reply to South Africa’s 234–9 from their allotted 45 overs.
The chase was completed with seven balls remaining, with Steven Spoljaric unbeaten on 36 and Richie Wyld on 19. Their unbroken seventh-wicket partnership of 40 carried Australia home after South Africa had kept themselves in contention with regular wickets.
Ryan Broad contributed 48 from 79 deliveries and shared a 97-run second-wicket stand with Paulsen after Glen Batticciotto departed for 11. Greg Hunt added 12 and Matthew Weaver made 15, but Australia still needed 40 when Brenton Edwards fell for eight at 195–6.
Spoljaric and Wyld handled the closing stages, denying South Africa another breakthrough. Reinhardt Strydom led the South African bowling with 3–50, while Rashad Mia took 1–38 and Robert Mutch finished with 1–36.
Earlier, South Africa chose to bat and were led by captain William Hantam, who scored 71 from 79 balls with five fours and three sixes. Strydom contributed 39, Nathan Jones made 27 and Chris Thompson added 15.
Brendon Reddy provided a late burst with 50 from just 27 deliveries, striking three fours and five sixes. However, South Africa lost their final three wickets with the total unchanged at 234 as Australia restricted their finish.
Paulsen’s nine overs included two maidens, while Jamie Panelli, Mark Cleary and Shaun Mathews claimed one wicket each.
Elsewhere, India defeated Canada by five wickets at Everest after reaching 231–5 in 42.3 overs in pursuit of 229. Anup Fulper scored 67 and Bhupender Yadav made 66, sharing a 133-run third-wicket partnership after India slipped to 26–2. Amit Mishra finished unbeaten on 42. Canada’s 228–9 was built around Royston Crandon’s 71, with Gaurav Angiras adding 36 and Nitin Gosain hitting 35 from 19 balls. Shankar Tikyani took 3–49 for India, while Shane Shillingford and Gosain claimed two wickets each for Canada.
At Malteenoes, Scotland beat Namibia by eight wickets. Daniel Styer took 5–64 as Namibia were dismissed for 195 in 30.1 overs despite Henry Hayes’ 77 from 47 balls. Ryan Hepburn claimed 2–13 and Mohammad Khan took 2–50. Kyle Coetzer then scored 81 and Julian De Jager made 52 in a 113-run opening stand, setting up Scotland’s successful chase of 196–2 in 38.1 overs.
New Zealand secured a seven-wicket victory over Rest of the Caribbean at the National Stadium, Providence. Darrin Crook’s 4–23 helped dismiss the Caribbean side for 162 in 40.5 overs, with Varindra Maharaj unbeaten on 69. Ben Rapson and Jeraldd Sugumar took two wickets each. Dewald Strydom’s unbeaten 55 guided New Zealand to 163–3 in 25.3 overs, supported by Lincoln Reed’s 29 and Andrew Goldsmith’s 26.