Laura Wolvaardt made 169 runs, while Marizanne Kapp delivered with bat and ball.
Captain Laura Wolvaardt and all-rounder Marizanne Kapp delivered spectacular performances on Wednesday as the Proteas wrapped up a remarkable 125-run victory over England to reach the final of the Women’s Cricket World Cup for the first time.
Batting first in their semifinal in Guwahati, the SA team got off to a good start with Wolvaardt and fellow opener Tazmin Brits (who hit 45 runs off 65 balls) sharing 116 runs for the first wicket.
After Brits was removed by Sophie Ecclestone midway through the innings, middle-order batter Kapp (42 off 33) combined in a 72-run stand with Wolvaardt for the fourth wicket, and all-rounder Chloe Tryon contributed 33 runs down the order.
It was Wolvaardt, however, who kept the line-up glued together, hitting 169 runs off 143 deliveries — her 10th career ODI century — in an innings which included 20 fours and four sixes.
Wolvaardt was eventually dismissed with just two overs left in the innings, when she holed out a Lauren Bell delivery to Alice Capsey at long-on, after hitting the third highest score by a South African woman in a one-day international match.
Ecclestone spearheaded the England attack, taking 4/44, but Wolvaardt’s heroics were too much for the opposition as the Proteas reached 319/7.
England innings
Chasing 320 runs to win, England were placed on the back foot from the start of their chase, with their top three batters – Amy Jones, Tammy Beaumont and Heather Knight – all being removed for ducks as they were reduced to 3/1 in the second over of their innings.
England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt and Capsey produced a recovery attempt, putting together a 107-run partnership for the fourth wicket, before Capsey was removed by Suné Luus who had her caught by Nadine de Klerk at mid-off for 50 runs.
And six overs later Sciver-Brunt was sent packing for 64 runs when she got an outside edge off a delivery from Kapp which was safely held by wicketkeeper Sinalo Jafta.
England were eventually bowled out for 194 as the Proteas secured the win with more than eight overs to spare, with Kapp taking career-best figures of 5/20.
South Africa will face either hosts India or the world’s top-ranked side, Australia, in the World Cup final to be played in Mumbai on Sunday.
