South Africa survived a potentially disastrous mid-innings stumble, where they lost three wickets for just three runs, as captain Laura Wolvaardt took charge to lead them to a 125-run semi-final win over England.
After a 116-run opening stand, Sophie Ecclestone struck twice, bowling Tazmin Brits and Anneke Bosch (for a duck). Three overs later, Suné Luus played on, swinging wildly at Nat Sciver-Brunt. In 20 balls, three wickets had been “squandered… all of it down to batter error.”
This left South Africa at a crossroads. But Wolvaardt, who had been anchoring the innings, absorbed the pressure and completed her maiden World Cup century.
Then, she unleashed. Wolvaardt smashed 69 runs from her final 28 balls, turning that 3-wicket wobble into a distant memory as the score soared to 319 for seven.
That total was more than enough, as Marizanne Kapp (five for 20) ripped through England’s top order (one for three) to seal a historic, and resilient, victory.