Wolvaardt’s Wonder Innings Blasts South Africa into First-Ever Final

South Africa’s women’s cricket team shattered their semi-final ceiling on Wednesday, booking a historic first-ever place in the 50-over World Cup final with a stunning 125-run victory over England. The win was orchestrated by a masterful performance from captain Laura Wolvaardt and a destructive bowling spell from Marizanne Kapp.
Wolvaardt was the architect of the triumph, playing an innings of a lifetime. After cautiously compiling a maiden World Cup century off 115 balls, she exploded in the closing overs. With wickets falling around her, she single-handedly seized control, smashing an additional 69 runs from just 28 deliveries to finish with a breathtaking 169.
Her assault included four towering sixes and a 20-run over against Linsey Smith, turning a competitive score into a fortress. Even after her dismissal, the momentum continued, with Chloe Tryon and Nadine de Klerk pushing South Africa to a mammoth 319 for seven, the second-highest total in a World Cup knockout game.
England’s chase was over before it began. They crumbled under the pressure, slumping to a disastrous one run for three wickets—the single run being a wide. The top three batters all departed for ducks, leaving the middle order with an impossible mountain to climb.
Marizanne Kapp, the “queen of seam,” ensured there would be no recovery. She began with a double-wicket maiden, bowling Amy Jones with a perfect nip-backer and getting Heather Knight to chop on. Kapp returned later to claim three more victims, finishing with remarkable figures of five for 20 and becoming the all-time leading wicket-taker in 50-over World Cups.