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History Queens! Kapp, Wolvaardt dismantle England, drive SA into World Cup Final

football29 October 2025 20:24| © MWP
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South Africa are into their first Women’s World Cup final after breaking their semifinal curse in style against England in Guwahati on Wednesday, winning by a massive 125 runs.

Marizanne Kapp blew England’s batting to smithereens with a devastating spell of bowling, claiming 5-20 from her seven overs that brimmed with a deadly combination of aggression and accuracy.

It proved the perfect follow up to captain Laura Wolvaardt’s stunning 169 with the bat, taking her side to 319-7 after losing the toss, as the South African stars finally shone at the sharp end of an ODI competition.

Reflecting on her mammoth effort, Wolvaardt said: “We identified early that it was a decent wicket, so wanted to keep going.

“I wanted to go until the 40th over and then, while I was there, thought I might as well try to whack a few.”

Left heartbroken by the same opponents at this stage of the last two tournaments, the Proteas had also been skittled for 69 in the round robin stage in a ten-wicket humiliation this time around.

But their remarkable turnaround means they will meet the winner of the other semifinal clash between world-leading Australia and hosts India, which takes place in Navi Mumbai on Thursday.

Beaten England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt reflected: “We have come a long way since the summer. A different side since then and have learnt a lot about ourselves. This will hurt but hopefully, in time, we can take the learnings from it and move forward.

“It's really exciting where we can go but to beat the best teams, you have to be at your very best.”

CLASSY KAPP ON FIRE

Kapp made a dream start with the ball, bowling England opener Amy Jones through the gate with just the second delivery of the innings as they floundered in their pursuit of 320.

It went from dream to perfection when she repeated the dose, as former captain Heather Knight played on to leave the English in disarray at 0-2.

That became 1-3 when Ayabonga Khaka wasn’t to be outdone at the other end, tempting Tammy Beaumont into a drive that she edged through to Sinalo Jafta.

But Sciver-Brunt and Alice Capsey did rebuild, helped by the wound-up Kapp leaving the field with a bout of cramp.

And the pair were given two lives in one ball with the score on 63 when Nondumiso Shangase - on for Kapp - dropped Capsey’s heave down the ground on the long-on boundary, only for her return throw to come within an inch of running out Sciver-Brunt as Sune Luus whipped off the bails.

The 100 partnership came up and both reached half-centuries to give England a foothold, only for Capsey to cloth Luus straight to Nadine de Klerk at mid-off to leave them 108-4.

Kapp’s return looked to be a huge moment in the game. And so it proved, as the 35-year-old nibbled one away from the dangerous Sciver-Brunt, who edged behind to end her 76-ball stay on a score of 64.

Then went Sophia Dunkley in almost identical fashion before Charlie Dean feathered through to Jafta with her feet in concrete, giving the fired-up Kapp her fifth scalp and a hat-trick ball opportunity.

Sophie Ecclestone resisted it, having earlier returned her nation’s best bowling figures of 4-44, but fell slog-sweeping Nonkululeko Mlaba into the hands of Annerie Dercksen.

Veteran Danni Wyatt-Hodge (34) hoisted De Klerk straight down the throat of substitute fielder Tumi Sekhukhune at deep backward square leg to leave South Africa on the brink.

De Klerk picked up her second to win it in the 43rd over when she had Linsey Smith caught for 27 to start the party for those in green.

SA CAPTAIN GOES BIG

Earlier Wolvaardt had dazzled with her game-changing century, almost batting through the innings in reaching 169 as her side recorded the second-highest score in Women’s World Cup matches.

Driving repeatedly through the covers early on, the captain changed tack in the death overs with a flurry of legside boundaries including four sixes.

A thin edge through to fine leg for four was hardly the typical Wolvaardt style for such a feat, but that's merely a footnote in the career of a textbook and she more than made up for it.

Anchoring the Proteas innings en route to their route of England, the skipper notched up her 10th ton, hitting four sixes and 20 fours for her 169 off 143.

On a day of firsts for the team, it was a personal first for Wolvaardt too – her first century against England. 

Tazmin Brits gave her solid support with 45 in a century stand at the top of the order before Kapp whacked a quickfire 42, with Chloe Tryon (33 not out) helping steer the Proteas to their unbeatable total.

© Written by Antoinette Muller

ENGLAND: Amy Jones (wk), Tammy Beaumont, Heather Knight, Nat Sciver-Brunt (capt), Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Sophia Dunkley, Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, Sophie Ecclestone, Linsey Smith, Lauren Bell

SOUTH AFRICA: Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Tazmin Brits, Sune Luus, Annerie Dercksen, Marizanne Kapp, Anneke Bosch, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Ayabonga Khaka, Nonkululeko Mlaba

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