WCL 2026 Semi-final 1: Date, Time, Venue & Match Preview
England Champions play South Africa Champions in the WCL 2026 Semi-final 1 was played on Friday 16 October 2026 at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, starting at 3:30 PM UAE / 5:00 PM IST. England Champions won by defeating South Africa Champions to qualify for the Grand Final.
Fixture verified against Cricbuzz’s WCL 2026 match list · Result confirmed
England Champions won by 46 runs
Player of the match: Moeen Ali
England Champions innings189/8 (20)
| Batter | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ravi Bopara (c)c du Plessis b R Frylinck | 8 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 100.0 |
| Dawid Malanc de Villiers b R Frylinck | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 28.6 |
| Jason Royc and b R Frylinck | 17 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 113.3 |
| Moeen Alic de Villiers b Parnell | 70 | 41 | 3 | 6 | 170.7 |
| Joe Denlyst van Wyk b Phangiso | 59 | 30 | 5 | 3 | 196.7 |
| Phil Mustard †b Hardus Viljoen | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 33.3 |
| Samit Patellbw b Hardus Viljoen | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Toby Roland-Jonesc Duminy b Phangiso | 22 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 169.2 |
| Tymal Millsnot out | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0 |
| Ajmal Shahzadnot out | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0 |
| Extrasb 0, lb 3, w 5, nb 0 | 8 | ||||
| Total20 overs · RR 9.45 | 189/8 | ||||
Did not bat Ryan Sidebottom
Fall of wickets 1-10 (Ravi Bopara, 2.1 ov), 2-11 (Dawid Malan, 2.4 ov), 3-51 (Jason Roy, 7.2 ov), 4-146 (Moeen Ali, 15.5 ov), 5-147 (Phil Mustard, 16.2 ov), 6-147 (Samit Patel, 16.3 ov), 7-182 (Toby Roland-Jones, 19.3 ov), 8-188 (Joe Denly, 19.5 ov)
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robbie Frylinck2 wd | 4 | 0 | 25 | 3 | 6.20 |
| Wayne Parnell | 4 | 0 | 43 | 1 | 10.80 |
| Hardus Viljoen | 4 | 0 | 28 | 2 | 7.00 |
| Imran Tahir1 wd | 4 | 0 | 38 | 0 | 9.50 |
| Aaron Phangiso2 wd | 3 | 0 | 37 | 2 | 12.30 |
| Jean-Paul Duminy | 1 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 15.00 |
South Africa Champions innings143 (16.5)
| Batter | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AB de Villiers (c)c Moeen Ali b Tymal Mills | 25 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 192.3 |
| Faf du Plessisc P Mustard b Tymal Mills | 25 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 192.3 |
| Jean-Paul Duminyc J Denly b Roland-Jones | 4 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 50.0 |
| Morne van Wyk †c J Denly b Tymal Mills | 31 | 25 | 1 | 1 | 124.0 |
| Colin Ingramc Roland-Jones b Samit Patel | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Sarel Erweec (sub)Owais Shah b Samit Patel | 17 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 106.3 |
| Wayne Parnellc Moeen Ali b Ajmal Shahzad | 11 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 183.3 |
| Hardus Viljoenc (sub)Owais Shah b Bopara | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 66.7 |
| Robbie Frylinckb Ajmal Shahzad | 17 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 188.9 |
| Aaron Phangisob Ajmal Shahzad | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Imran Tahirnot out | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 33.3 |
| Extrasb 4, lb 2, w 3, nb 1 | 10 | ||||
| Total16.5 overs · RR 8.50 | 143 | ||||
Fall of wickets 1-52 (AB de Villiers, 4.1 ov), 2-53 (Faf du Plessis, 4.6 ov), 3-57 (Jean-Paul Duminy, 5.5 ov), 4-58 (Colin Ingram, 6.5 ov), 5-85 (Sarel Erwee, 10.6 ov), 6-97 (Wayne Parnell, 12.1 ov), 7-110 (Hardus Viljoen, 13.1 ov), 8-135 (Robbie Frylinck, 15.4 ov), 9-135 (Aaron Phangiso, 15.6 ov), 10-143 (Morne van Wyk, 16.5 ov)
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Sidebottom | 1 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 12.00 |
| Toby Roland-Jones | 2 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 7.00 |
| Tymal Mills1 wd 1 nb | 2.5 | 0 | 17 | 3 | 6.00 |
| Ajmal Shahzad | 3 | 0 | 33 | 3 | 11.00 |
| Samit Patel2 wd | 4 | 0 | 27 | 2 | 6.80 |
| Moeen Ali | 3 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 8.70 |
| Ravi Bopara | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 8.00 |
Semi-final 1: date, venue and start times
| Competition | World Championship of Legends 2026 (WCL Season 3) |
|---|---|
| Fixture | England Champions vs South Africa Champions |
| Match | Semi-final 1 · Knockout |
| Date | Friday 16 October 2026 |
| Venue | Sharjah Cricket Stadium, United Arab Emirates |
| UAE | 3:30 PM · UTC+4 |
| India | 5:00 PM IST |
| Pakistan | 4:30 PM PKT |
| Bangladesh | 5:30 PM · UTC+6 |
| United Kingdom | 12:30 PM BST |
| Format | T20 |
| Status | Completed: England Champions won by defeating South Africa Champions to qualify for the Grand Final |
What to know before the match
England Champions have 2 wins and 3 defeats from 5 completed Season 3 matches. Most recent: lost to Australia by 16 runs on 14 October. South Africa Champions have 5 wins and 0 defeats from 5 completed Season 3 matches. Most recent: beat Bangladesh by 88 runs on 14 October.
Squad news, players and playing XIs
The qualifying sides must be known before a relevant squad comparison can be made. Confirmed team names, available players, the toss and the two playing XIs belong in this section once announced. No speculative semi-finalists, finalists or lineups are presented as confirmed.
South Africa Champions won the toss and chose to bowl. The playing XIs, batting order and bowling figures are in the scorecard at the top of this page.
Past WCL records and head-to-head context
India won the inaugural WCL title in 2024. South Africa won in 2025, with Pakistan the runners-up in both editions. These past achievements provide tournament context; the 2026 knockout participants and results are still to be established.
Venue and conditions
All Season 3 matches are played at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, including both semi-finals and the final. The Dubai leg was dropped when the fixture list was reissued after Pakistan Champions withdrew. This fixture is the afternoon game of the day’s double-header, starting at 3:30 PM UAE.
A match-specific pitch report, weather forecast and boundary measurements are not available in the schedule announcement. Surface preparation, conditions on the day and the toss will inform batting and bowling decisions. A par score or a chasing advantage should not be assumed from the venue name alone.
Explore the Sharjah venue guide →
Live score, broadcast and match updates
Final result: England Champions won by defeating South Africa Champions to qualify for the Grand Final. The full scorecard is in the match panel at the top of this page. The 2025 results in the historical section are separate from this Season 3 fixture.
Season 3 broadcast and streaming details must be checked against rights announcements. The 2025 broadcaster list is historical reference, not a guarantee that the same service will carry this fixture. See the broadcast guide for the latest verified information. Ticket prices and booking details are not yet verified for this fixture.
Season 3 points table · Complete Season 3 schedule · All seven team guides
Frequently asked questions
When is Semi-final 1 in WCL 2026?
It was played on Friday 16 October 2026, starting at 3:30 PM UAE / 5:00 PM IST. England Champions won by defeating South Africa Champions to qualify for the Grand Final.
Where is the match being played?
Sharjah Cricket Stadium, United Arab Emirates.
Are the playing XIs confirmed?
Yes. The playing XIs were named at the toss and are listed in the scorecard on this page.
Sources and editorial notes
Fixture date, venue and start time follow the announced Season 3 schedule in our full tournament calendar. Team and tournament background is available in the linked team guides. The WCL UAE announcement published by CricTracker names the headline Season 3 players. Squad reports are attributed above. Match analysis is editorial context, not a prediction or a confirmed selection.