By Razeen Gutta
- Laura Wolvaardt scored 169 runs to lead South Africa’s women to their first World Cup final after thrashing England in Guwahati.
- Marizanne Kapp took five wickets, helping the Proteas avenge semi-final losses to England in 2017 and 2022.
The Proteas women made history on Wednesday by reaching their first-ever World Cup final after crushing England by 125 runs in Guwahati.
Captain Laura Wolvaardt led from the front with a brilliant 169 – her first World Cup century and the first by any captain in a semi-final. Her performance powered South Africa to a strong total of 319/7.
Marizanne Kapp then took charge with the ball, removing England’s top batters and finishing with 5/20. Her spell left England in tatters as South Africa sealed one of their biggest victories ever.
For Wolvaardt and Kapp, this win means more than just a place in the final. Both were part of the teams that lost heartbreaking semi-finals to England in 2017 and 2022.
“Very special. Everyone is really excited. Having lost to this opposition in two previous editions in the semis, it really hurt the group,” Wolvaardt said after the match.
The skipper also reached another milestone, passing 5,000 One Day International runs during the game.
South Africa now wait to see who they’ll face in Sunday’s final. Their opponent will be the winner of Thursday’s second semi-final between hosts India and defending champions Australia.
Pictured above: South Africa are finalists!
Image source: @proteaswomencsa
