South Africa claim historic World Cup final spot as Wolvaardt blows England away

South Africa made history in Guwahati on Wednesday, after a phenomenal innings from captain Laura Wolvaardt and remarkable figures of five for 20 from Marizanne Kapp helped them to a 125-run win against England and launched them into their first ever 50-over World Cup final.

Wolvaardt took 115 balls to bring up a maiden World Cup hundred, which was reason enough to celebrate. But with wickets tumbling at the other end and England looking like they might have an easy-enough chase on their hands, she then unleashed a remarkable display of boundary-striking on the unsuspecting English bowlers, adding a further 69 runs in 28 balls.

Wolvaardt slammed four sixes down the ground, and slog-swept Linsey Smith for 20 runs off the 47th over. Even when Wolvaardt holed out to Lauren Bell in the 48th, Chloe Tryon and Nadine de Klerk took up the mantle, hitting 16 runs off Smith’s 49th as England’s best death bowler was made to look like an amateur.

South Africa’s total of 319 for seven was the second highest ever in a World Cup knockout game: a batting line-up much more solid than England’s would have struggled to chase it. But England almost seemed resigned to defeat before they got started: their top three batters all bagged ducks. The fact that England were one for three with the one run being a wide just about summed up their day: the middle order didn’t stand a chance. England were all out for 194 in 42.3 overs.

It was Kapp who started the rot, beginning her account with a double-wicket maiden: she bowled Amy Jones with a nip-backer, before Heather Knight flailed at one outside off-stump which she could easily have left, and chopped onto her own stumps.

Kapp’s next over was another maiden; after two more, she was forced off the field with cramp. By the time she returned to the attack, Alice Capsey had struck a maiden ODI fifty and added 107 for the fourth wicket in conjunction with Nat Sciver-Brunt.

But Kapp, the queen of seam, extracted both-ways movement off the pitch to dismiss the trio of Sciver-Brunt, Sophia Dunkley and Charlie Dean, all nicking off behind the stumps - the latter two in successive balls. Sophie Ecclestone defended the next, so Kapp’s hat-trick will have to wait for another day; but the chance to play in a World Cup final seems a reasonable consolation prize. South Africa will face either Australia or India in Navi Mumbai on Sunday, pending the result of Thursday’s semi-final.

Wolvaardt’s history-making knock came after England had asked South Africa to bat, no doubt buoyed by memories of bowling their opponents out for 69 at this same ground just three and a half weeks ago. They had spent the build-up to this semi-final waiting nervously to see if Sophie Ecclestone would recover in time from her shoulder injury to play a role in this match; in the end Sciver-Brunt and Charlotte Edwards were so desperate to get her into the XI that she was included despite wincing with pain during her two spells.

And their reasoning proved sound: it was Ecclestone’s double-strike in the 23rd over which broke Tazmin Brits and Wolvaardt’s 116-run opening partnership. First, Brits nutmegged herself attempting the reverse sweep, and was bowled between her legs. Then Anneke Bosch - brought back into the XI with the specific remit of strengthening South Africa’s batting - came down the track, failed to read Ecclestone’s arm ball and was bowled for a duck.

Ecclestone returned later in the innings to remove a dangerous-looking Kapp, well-held by Charlie Dean at long-on as she tried to go over the top, and Annerie Dercksen then added her a fourth scalp after she, too, misexecuted the reverse - playing into the ground before the ball pinged back off her bat and hit the stumps. At 202 for six, England saw an opening - but with Ecclestone bowled out, Wolvaardt hit out, and the door to a World Cup final closed firmly shut for Sciver-Brunt’s team.

After the heartbreak of the 2017 and 2022 semi-finals, reward at last for two of South African cricket’s greatest servants - Kapp, who on Wednesday became the leading wicket-taker of all time in 50-over World Cups; and Wolvaardt, who has scored more ODI runs than any other South African woman in history but who will surely rate her 169 against England as the best of her 5,121.

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