Laura Wolvaaedt’s batting masterclass and Marizanne Kapp’s five-for propelled South Africa into their maiden world Cup final off the back of a 125-run victory over England.

Wolvaardt’s breathtaking 169 in thefirst semi final in Guwahati carried her side to 319 for 7 from their 50 overs, the second-highest score in World Cup knockout matches.

Asked to stage the second-highest successful chase in women’s ODIs, behind Australia’s 331 to beat India earlier in this tournament, England fell short in the face of the brilliant bowling of Kapp, who took 5 for 20. Those wickets included two in the first over of the reply, as England lurched to 1 for 3, and the prize wicket of Nat Sciver-Brunt who had built a century stand with Alice Capsey. As if that wasn’t enough, Kapp then took two more wickets in as many balls to put South Africa on the brink of victory.

South Africa face the winner of the second semi-final between Australia and India for the title on Sunday, which will be their third consecutive World Cup final after they finished runners-up at the T20 events in 2023 and 2024.

Wolvaardt was a class above in the South Africa batting line-up, her innings full of trademark elegant drives early followed by a brutal leg-side assault as she hit the accelerator in the closing stages. She was well supported by Tazmin Brits, who scored 45 but later went off during England’s innings with what appeared to be a wrist injury after landing awkwardly in the field, and Kapp’s 42 off just 33 balls. Wolvaardt shared a seventh-wicket stand worth 89 with Chloe Tryon, who finished unbeaten on 33.

Sophie Ecclestone overcame a shoulder injury suffered in the previous match against New Zealand on Sunday to finish with 4 for 44 but, apart from that and fifties for Sciver-Brunt and Capsey, there was little to celebrate for England. Only two others – Danni Wyatt-Hodge and tailender Linsey Smith – reached double figures.

As if determined to model South Africa’s bowling performance on Wolvaardt’s batting masterclass, Kapp removed Amy Jones with a ball of the highest quality in the first over. A fuller delivery outside off stump jagged back in between bat and pad and clattered into off stump. Heather Knight was more complicit in her dismissal three balls later when, with leaden feet she prodded at one that shaped away from outside off and edged onto her stumps, giving Kapp 2 for 0 in five balls.

Ayabonga Khaka made it three England ducks in a row just two balls into the second over when she drew a faint edge off Tammy Beaumont with one that straightened off the pitch for caught behind.

South Africa let England off the hook somewhat as Sciver-Brunt and Capsey took them from such a poor start to 108 for 4 when Capsey fell moments after reaching her maiden ODI half-century. Capsey had been dropped on 28 by substitute fielder Nondumiso Shangase at long on off the bowling of Sune Luus as South Africa struggled to make further inroads with Kapp off the field. Sciver-Brunt, meanwhile, narrowly avoided being run out as she retreated to the bowler’s end.

No sooner had Capsey reached fifty, she picked out Nadine de Klerk at mid-off with Luus the bowler once more. Either side of her dismissal, Sciver-Brunt reached her fifty, powering Luus over long-off for six and Brits put down a difficult chance leaping to her right at midwicket and falling heavily, forcing her off the field in pain and clutching her arm.

Kapp struck in the second over of her return spell to remove Sciver-Brunt, caught behind after she was enticed to drive at a length ball which wobbled away ever so slightly off the seam and brushed the outside edge. In her next over Kapp had Sophia Dunkley and Charlie Dean caught behind off successive deliveries, the energy with which she roared to celebrate her last wicket matching that of her first.

Wyatt-Hodge, playing just her second match of the tournament after being brought in for Emma Lamb to bolster a struggling middle-order, faced just seven deliveries for 2 not out against New Zealand, but with more time in the middle here, she managed 34 off 31. When she and Smith fell to Nadine de Klerk, however, it was all over for England.

South Africa’s resounding victory was a result of their ability to get out of trouble. They fell from 116 without loss to 119 for 3, as Ecclestone took a sledgehammer to the excellent structure laid down by Wolvaardt and Brits with two wickets in the space of four balls.

Brits could have been out for 1 off what would have been the sharpest of return catches by Lauren Bell and she had attempted a reverse-sweep off Ecclestone’s fellow left-arm spinner, Linsey Smith, before ending up in an awkward heap as the ball struck her front pad well outside off stump. When Brits tried it again it was her undoing, as Ecclestone speared one in full on middle and leg and drew a bottom edge onto the stumps.

Anneke Bosch, brought into the starting XI to boost the batting which had failed so miserably against England last time these sides met, lost her off stump as she charged at Ecclestone, yorked herself and departed for a three-ball duck.

Bell put down another tough chance leaping to her left at short fine leg off Kapp, on 36 at the time. But Kapp added just a handful more runs before Ecclestone returned with immediate impact, with Kapp skying a fuller ball outside off stump high over mid-on where Dean ran back and settled underneath it.

Another cluster of South Africa wickets was complete when Annerie Dercksen, apparently having failed to learn from Brits’ downfall, tried to reverse-sweep Ecclestone, hit the ball into the pitch outside off then again through her swing, the second impact ricocheting into the stumps.

Having lumped Dean for a massive 82 metre six over wide long-on Wolvaardt bided her time through Ecclestone’s final over. She then helped herself to 13 of the 15 runs to come off the next, by Sciver-Brunt, including another six over long-on followed by a pulled four through backward square.

Sciver-Brunt conceded 14 off her next over, including Wolvaardt’s third maximum, this time over deep midwicket, and she raised her 150 with a similar effort off Smith, who leaked 20 off the over, all but one of them to Wolvaardt.

When Wolvaardt finally holed out to Capsey as she launched Bell down the ground, she walked off to warm congratulations from her opponents, the gratitude of her team and the rapture of the crowd, who knew they had witnessed something special.

Brief scores:
South Africa Women  319 for 7 in 50 overs (Laura Wolvaardt 169, Tazmin Britts 45, Marizanne Kapp 42 Chloe Tryon 33 *; Lauren Bell 2-55, Sophie Ecclestone 4-44) beat England Women  194 in 42.3 overs  (Nat Sciver-Brunt 64, Alice Capsey 50, Danni Wyatt Hodge 34; Marizanne Kapp 5-20, Nadine de Klerk 2-24) by 125 runs

[Cricinfo]