I am not prophetic. There is no way that I am one, but my script yesterday indicated clearly Quote ” I won’t be surprised if South Africa springs a surprise ” unquote.
I did state that if Laura Wolvaardt, the Proteas Captain guides her top order batters, South Africa can challenge the favourites England with a win predictor of 51 % as opposed to South Africa on 49 %.
Laura Woulvvardt ticked the boxes by scoring 169 runs in 143 deliveries with a strike rate of 118.18, 20 boundaries, and 4 maximums. It was an unbelievable exhibition of batting with the crowds at the stadium getting their moneys worth whilst electronic viewers watched a class act, and the bookmakers took a heavy beating.
Laura had support from fellow opener Tazmin Brits who made 45. She guided her through they 116 stand for the first wicket, even though. Ecclestone undid Tazmin for 45, Anneka Bosch for no score in the same over, and also rattled the timber of Sunne Luus for 1 run. Laura Wolvaardt stood tall, the body language was crystal clear that she would take it deep.
From 116 for 1 wicket, suddenly the Proteas had slumped to 119 for 3 wickets, and weh thought South Africa had got their old habit start choking.
Marrizane Kapp joined her skipper, and the pair did a repair job stitched a partnership of 72 runs for the 4th wicket before Marrizane Kapp departed for 42 with South Africa looking healthy on 191 for 4 wickets in the 37th overs.
Laura Wolvaardt stroked most of her boundaries on the off side, but faced another challenge because South Africa lost 2 quick wickets after the departure of Marrizane Kapp, Sinalo Jaffa was dismissed for 1 bowled by Laura Bell, and Anneria Derecsen, who so far has had a miserable World Cup, out for 4, thus giving Ecclestone her 4th wicket as the Proteas looked vulnerable on 201 for 6 wickets , approaching the 40th over.
Caloe Tryon joined Laura Wolvaardt who changed her approach and started attacking the English bowling with Ecclestone completing her quota of overs, and can you imagine that South Africa thumped 117 runs in the last ten overs with Laura Wolvaardt and Chole Tyrone building a partnership of 89 runs for the 7th wicket.
South Africa made 319 for 7 in their alloted 50 overs with Tyrone unbeaten on 33.
Feature, Laura Wolvaardt made 169 runs off the 319 South Africa scored. What a player.
It was now England’s turn to chase the score on a good batting surface. Remember, it’s England who invited South Africa to bat first.
The ploy failed as Marrizane Kapp broke the backbone of the England batting, She carseled Ammy Jones and Heather Knight disturbing their timber in her very first over.
Tammy Beaumont nicked a Khaka outswinger and wicket Keeper Sinalo Jaffa gleefully accepted the nick. England slumped to 3 wickets for 1 run.
Alice Capsey joined Skipper Nat Sciver Brunt, unfamiliar territory for Alice Capsey, batting so early with the scoreboard indicating that only the 4th over was in progress.
The only credit that England can take was the partnership of 107 runs between Nat Sciver Brunt and Alice Capsey for the 4th wicket.
Alice Capsey made her debut 50. Guess she celebrated too early by giving her precious wicket on a platter after doing the hard work with England looking competitive on 108 for 3 wickets in the 23rd over.
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She walked back to the hutch dejected, realising that she had made a mess of it.
The rest was history. Marrizane Kapp was out of action due to a cramp and came back to bowl her second spell removed 3 English batters including Nat Sciver Brunt for 64, Dunkley for just 2 runs and Charlie Dean for no score.
England outplayed, bowled out in the 43rd over for 194 runs, they lost their opportunity of playing in 2025 final because they became victims of a fascinating batting display of Laura Wolvaardt adjudicated as Player of the Match, and the all round performance of Marrizane Kapp, not only with her bat but also with the ball.
The English top order batters made the mistake of playing for the inswing from both Marrizane Kapp and Khaka, but they were rattled by the fact that the ball kept its line instead.
Today, India plays Australia in the second semi-final