South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt delivered an outstanding century, and veteran Marizanne Kapp showcased her bowling prowess in favourable batting conditions, leading South Africa to a 125-run victory over England and securing their first Women’s ODI Cup final on Wednesday.
Wolvaardt propelled South Africa to an impressive 319 for seven with a remarkable 169 off 143 balls, countering the effects of two minor collapses instigated by left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone.
England, a four-time champion, needed a record chase to reach another final. However, Kapp, after contributing with the bat, dismantled the opposition with a five-wicket haul, restricting them to 194 in 42.3 overs. “Still feels a bit unreal. You dream as a kid of scoring a hundred
in a World Cup knock-out game,” Wolvaardt said at the post-match presentation ceremony after receiving the ‘Player of the Match’ award. “This probably has to be right at the top, considering the context, a World Cup semi-final. It is right up there,” she added.
The Proteas women had previously competed in back-to-back T20 World Cup finals but lost on both occasions.
On a run-friendly surface, Kapp made the ball seam both ways, putting England on the back foot from the first over of the chase when she dismissed Amy Jones and former skipper Heather Knight. Jones was beaten by a ball that seamed back in, while Knight played a wide ball onto her stumps, leaving Kapp energised.
England’s Nat Sciver-Brunt (64 off 76) and Alice Capsey (50 off 71) attempted to salvage the innings with a 107-run partnership, but when Capsey was caught by Sune Luus at mid-on, England’s chances seemed bleak. Kapp then delivered the decisive blow by having the dangerous Sciver-Brunt caught behind. At 151 for eight, the game was firmly in South Africa’s favour.
The second semifinal between India and Australia will be played in Navi Mumbai on Thursday.
Put in to bat, South Africa set the stage for a 300-plus total with a 116-run partnership between Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits (45 off 65). Ecclestone (4/44) struck twice in the 22nd over to slow South Africa’s scoring. A 72-run stand between Wolvaardt and Marizanne Kapp (42 off 33) followed before Ecclestone once again broke a promising partnership. At 202 for six, South Africa seemed poised for a below-par total, but Wolvaardt elevated her game to push her team past the 300-run mark.
The first half of Wolvaardt’s innings featured elegant drives through the off-side, followed by targeting the midwicket boundary against England’s pacers and spinners to regain momentum for South Africa. Her innings included 17 fours and three sixes.
Wolvaardt, whose highest ODI score is 184, took left-arm spinner Linsey Smith to task in the 47th over, yielding 20 runs. Batting with a wide stance, Wolvaardt quickly dispatched balls on the leg side. She reached her 150 with a six over mid-wicket and also surpassed 5000 ODI runs during her marathon knock.
Chloe Tryon (33 not out off 26) and Nadine de Klerk (11 not out off 6) contributed effectively towards the end of the innings. The last 10 overs added 117 runs for the Proteas women.
This batting performance was a stark contrast to their 69 all out against the same opponent in the league stage of the tournament.
(With PTI Inputs)
