Riding on skipper Laura Wolvaardt’s maiden World Cup century and an equally dominant all-round show from Marizanne Kapp (42 & 5/20), South Africa stormed into their maiden ICC Women’s ODI World Cup final, and their third consecutive World Cup title clash (after two T20 World Cup finals) by thrashing four-time champions England by 125 runs in the first semifinal at the ACA Stadium on Wednesday.
In the summit clash, the Protea women will face the winner of Thursday’s second semifinal between defending champions Australia and hosts India.
Back in Guwahati, the venue where they began their campaign with a nightmarish loss to the same opposition, South Africa exorcised their demons in emphatic fashion, with Laura leading from the front through a magnificent 169 off 143 balls that powered her side to a formidable 319/7. On her way to becoming the first captain to score a century in a Women’s ODI knockout match, Laura smashed 20 fours and four sixes to record the highest individual score by a South African in Women’s World Cup history.
With the ball, Marizanne Kapp dismantled England’s chase of what was the second-highest total of the tournament (behind Australia’s 331 against India earlier in this edition). She struck twice in her opening over, then returned later to dismiss skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt (64 off 76), who had momentarily steadied the innings alongside Alice Capsey (50) in a 105-run stand after being precariously placed at 1 for 3.
Once Sune Luus broke the stand with the scalp of Capsey, it was one-way traffic for the South Africans as Kapp removed Sophia Dunkley and Charlie Dean off successive balls to complete her five-wicket haul. Sophie Ecclestone soon followed, leaving England’s hopes hanging by a thread, their chase crumbling well before the 35th over and eventually wrapping up for 194 in 42.3 overs.
Earlier in the evening, Laura’s batting masterclass was in full display in front of a sizeable crowd, as she paced her innings perfectly to first reach a fifty off 52 balls before bringing up her 10th ODI hundred off 115 deliveries, and then accelerated in a sensational fashion to amass 69 runs in her final 28 deliveries.
South Africa’s innings began with a solid 116-run opening stand between Laura and Tazmin Brits, but a brief collapse saw them lose three wickets in quick succession. But Laura steadied the innings with a composed 72-run partnership with Kapp (42) before launching a late onslaught that left England’s bowlers scrambling.
Despite battling a minor injury near her collarbone, Sophie Ecclestone’s impressive figures of 4/44 was the only solace for an otherwise rather ordinary English bowling display. Sophie’s double strike in the 23rd over momentarily brought England back into the contest with Tazmin perishing after reverse-sweeping to her stumps for 45 while Anneke Bosch was castled for a three-ball duck.
More pressure came on South Africa as Sune Luus chopped on to her stumps while trying to pull off a slower Nat Sciver-Brunt delivery.
From there, Marizanne came in to stabilise things alongside Laura. She got going with three boundaries off Nat, before taking a four each off Sophie, Charlie Dean and Alice Capsey. Even as she brought the fifty of her partnership with Laura, Marizanne had a reprieve when Lauren dropped her catch in the 34th over.
England’s decision to bring back Sophie paid off when she broke the partnership as Kapp skied a loft to mid-on and fell for 42. It brought a mini-wobble as Lauren castled Sinalo Jafta with a wobble seam delivery, while Annerie Dercksen chopped on to her stumps off Sophie.
Amidst all this, Laura raised her first World Cup hundred on her 115th delivery, and opened up further by sweeping Sophie for four, before lofting Charlie for six. She then heaved and pulled Nat on consecutive balls for six and four, before flaying and lofting Charlie for two fours.
Brief Scores: South Africa 319/7 (Laura Wolvaardt 169, Tazmin Brits 45; Sophie Ecclestone 4-44, Lauren Bell 2-55) beat England 194 all out (Nat Sciver-Brunt 64, Alice Capsey 50; Marizanne Kapp 5-20, Nadine de Klerk 2/24) by 125 runs.