While chasing the 299-run target in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup (CWC) 2025 final against India, Laura Wolvaardt, the captain of South Africa, brought up her 11th hundred in Women’s One Day International
(WODI). At the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, she reached the milestone in the 96 balls, to make it an even contest going into the last 10 overs of the run chase, needing 88 runs before one mistake proved costly for her.
On the first ball of the 42nd over in the South African innings, Deepti Sharma bowled a flighted delivery on the stumps which Laura Wolvaardt tried to hit out of the ground for a maximum. But she mistimed the stroke completely after getting too much underneath the ball, which meant that it went up very high in the air towards the long-on region where Amajot Kaur ran from deep mid-wicket in the nick of time.
Watch the video here:
Amanjot Kaur wasn’t completely balanced and it led to the ball bobbling out of her hands on multiple occasions before she somehow managed to hang onto the massive juggling catch on the third attempt. It caused a huge roar in the crowd at the DY PatiL Stadium in Navi Mumbai before her teammates surrounded and congratulated her for completing the catch safely.
In the same over, Deepti Sharma got the key wicket of Chloe Tryon for nine, to reduce South Africa to 221/8 in 42.4 overs, still needing 78 runs in 50 balls to win the World Cup final. Ultimately, India won the coveted title for the first-time in history after defeating South Africa by 52 runs after bundling them out in 45.3 overs.
Below are the playing XIs of India and South Africa for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 final:
India: Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Amanjot Kaur, Radha Yadav, Kranti Gaud, Shree Charani, Renuka Singh
South Africa: Laura Wolvaardt (c), Tazmin Brits, Anneke Bosch, Sune Luus, Marizanne Kapp, Annerie Dercksen, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Ayabonga Khaka, Nonkululeko Mlaba
