Captain Laura Wolvaardt led from the front with a magical 169 off 143 balls as that innings has powered South Africa past 300 and ended up with 319/7 in 50 overs. Laura Wolvaardt was ably supported by others around her as this performance overshadowed Sophie Ecclestone’s 4/44 in 10 overs. England now have a mountain to climb as they have to chase a mammoth 320 which will be a record chase in a semi-final. Only time will tell whether they can do it.
Laura Wolvaardt & Tazmin Brits give South Africa a solid start in powerplay
Put into bat first, captain Laura Wolvaardt came out to open with Tazmin Brits while Lauren Bell had ball in hand for England. Wolvaardt made her intensions clear and got off the mark in delightful fashion with a boundary through covers. She followed that up with a thick outside edge that ran past first slip for a boundary. It was spin from the other end as usual as Linsey Smith had ball in hand from the other end. Wolvaardt was on a roll as she sweetly timed her through cover point for a boundary.
Brits joined in the run scoring act as she hit Bell straight down the ground for a boundary past mid-off. Smith bowled a tidy over next. Bell continued as Brits survived a close run out scare as the shy at the stumps at the striker’s end was missed, Brits then hit Bell by thrashing her through the covers for a boundary. Smith continued as Wolvaardt caressed her through the covers for a boundary. She hit her again by rocking back and cut it away past diving cover point for a boundary.
Captain Nat Sciver-Brunt came into the attack. Sciver-Brunt bowled a quiet over. Smith bowled another quiet over. Wolvaardt then hit her opposite number Sciver-Brunt for a boundary by carving it past diving backward point fielder. Smith continued as Wolvaardt pressed forward and drove her through cover point and extra cover for a boundary. The 50-run stand came up between the two players and the team’s fifty as well in 9.2 overs. Brits then used her feet and slammed it over top of mid-off for a boundary. At the end of the powerplay, South Africa were 58/0 in 10 overs and off to a steady start.
SA openers drive home the advantage; Sophie Ecclestone double strike brings England back in the game
Nat Sciver-Brunt continued after the powerplay and she bowled a decent over. Charlie Dean was introduced into the attack next. Dean bowled a quiet over. Nat continued and bowled a decent over. Dean continued as Brits cleared mid-off for a boundary. Sophie Ecclestone came into the attack for the first time in the innings. Wolvaardt punished Sophie by getting down on one knee and swept it fine down to the fine leg fence. She also completed 5000 ODI runs in the process.
Dean continued and bowled a quiet over. Ecclestone continued as Wolvaardt reached her 39th ODI fifty and held the innings together. Dean continued as Laura hammered her down the ground past Dean for a boundary. She was on a roll now as Laura leaned into the cover drive past Knight for a boundary. Drinks was taken at the score of 93/0 in 18 overs.
Sophie continued as Brits planted her front leg across the stumps and got low to paddle it past vacant fine leg for a boundary. The 100 came up and of the partnership between Wolvaardt and Brits as South Africa were 101/0 in 19 overs. Bell came back into the attack and bowled a tight over as South Africa were 103/0 in 20 overs. Sophie continued as Brits took her on and went straight down the ground over the bowler’s head as it cleared long-on for the maximum. Bell continued as Brits drilled her with power down the ground for a boundary as the ball went away like a rocket.
Ecclestone continued and provided the breakthrough for England as she dismissed Brits for 45 off 65 balls with 6 fours and a maximum to her name. Sophie tossed it up nicely on the stumps, Brits changed her stance and went for a reverse sweep and was in no position to play the stroke and ended up getting an under edge back onto the stumps. Anneke Bosch came out to bat and fell soon in the same over for a bronze duck.
Sophie fired this one full around the off-stump, Bosch decided to step out early and got into a tangle as she tried to dig it out. She failed to lay any bat onto it. The ball sneaked through to clatter the off-pole. Sune Luus came onto bat next. Bell continued and bowled a quiet over. Ecclestone bowled a maiden over as South Africa were pegged back to 119/2 in 25 overs at the halfway stage of the innings.
England chip away at the wickets despite heroics from Wolvaardt and Marizanne Kapp.
Nat Sciver-Brunt came back into the attack. She struck as she removed Luus for 1 off 6 balls. Nat bowled a short of a length delivery outside off-stump. Luus stayed deep in her crease and looked to pull it but ended up getting an inside edge back onto the stumps. Marizanne Kapp came out to bat next as she planted her front leg and drove it crisply through covers and cover point for a boundary. Smith returned to the attack and bowled a good over.
Sciver-Brunt continued as Kapp got an outside edge past the slips and away to the third man fence for a boundary. Kapp was on a roll as she drove it on the up and beat sweeper cover for a boundary. Smith continued and bowled a quiet over. Dean came back into the attack as Wolvaardt drove it on the up crisply through the covers for a boundary past Ecclestone. At the completion of 30 overs, South Africa were 149/3.
Linsey Smith continued and bowled a quiet over. Dean also kept it tight from the other end. Alice Capsey came into the attack from the other end. Capsey bowled a quiet over. Kapp broke the shackles as she took on Dean and smoked it over deep midwicket for a maximum. The 50-run stand came up between the two players. Drinks was taken with the score at 173/3 for South Africa.
Capsey continued after the Break as Wolvaardt rocked back and pulled it away past the left of diving backward square leg for a boundary. Dean continued as Bell dropped a very tough chance at short fine leg as Kapp got a life. Ecclestone returned to the attack as Kapp hammered her through the covers for a boundary. But Sophie hit back as she got rid of Kapp for 42 off 33 balls with 4 fours and a maximum to her name.
Ecclestone tossed it up delivery around off that gripped and turned away a shade. Kapp cleared her front leg and swung her bat across the line but was nowhere to the pitch of the ball. She mistimed it straight up in the air from the toe end of the bat. Charlie Dean at mid-on settled underneath it and took an easy catch. Sinalo Jafta came out to bat next and got off the mark soon. Bell returned and got rid of Jafta for 1 off 4 balls.
Bell from over the wicket bowled a good length delivery around off angling in that pitched and straightened. There was no footwork whatsoever from Jafta as she looked to defend it straight. She played the inside line of it and got beaten on the outside edge as the ball shattered the stumps. Annerie Dercksen came out to bat next. Ecclestone continued and bowled a quiet over.
Bell came to bowl the 40th over as Wolvaardt brought up her 10th ODI hundred and her first in the World Cup and it comes in the knockout game off 115 balls as she held the innings from one end. At the completion of 40 overs, South Africa were 202/5 with the game hanging in the balance at this stage.
Laura Wolvaardt leads the carnage as South Africa finish with mammoth 319/7 in 50 overs
Ecclestone continued and got rid of Dercksen for 4 off 14 balls. Sophie from around the wicket bowled a flighted delivery around off-stump, Dercksen planted her front leg and went for a reverse sweep and she tried to play it fine but ended up getting an under edge back onto the stumps. Chloe Tryon came out to bat next. She got off the mark soon. Wolvaardt swept Sophie away past backward square leg for a boundary.
Charlie Dean continued as Laura smashed her by getting underneath it and went over the midwicket region for the maximum. Ecclestone reviewed against Tryon for LBW but it was a waste of a review as the ball was going down the leg side as England lost a review as Sophie finished her excellent spell.
Sciver-Brunt continued as Wolvaardt took the attack to the opposition by whacking it over midwicket for the maximum and then pulled it away behind square for a boundary. Dean continued as Wolvaardt was dealing in boundaries as she opened up her stance and slogged it across the line to beat Dunkley at deep midwicket for a boundary. Wolvaardt slammed Dean over top of extra cover for a boundary. At the end of 45 overs, South Africa were 250/6.
Sciver-Brunt continued as Wolvaardt swung it across the line and split the gap between deep square leg and deep midwicket for a boundary as the 50-run stand came up between the two players. Wolvaardt then stood and delivered as she made room and then hoicked it over deep midwicket for the maximum. Linsey Smith came back into the attack as Wolvaardt took her on as she rocked back and pulled it over midwicket for the maximum. Wolvaardt then got down on one knee and swept it over the top of backward square leg for a boundary.
Wolvaardt continued the assault by getting it past deep midwicket for a boundary. Wolvaardt punished Smith again through deep square leg for a boundary. 20 runs came off this over. Bell came back into the attack as Tryon slapped her over mid-off for a boundary. Bell in the end, got rid of Laura Wolvaardt for a magnificent 169 off 143 balls with 20 fours and 4 sixes to her name.
Bell bowled a leg cutter on the fuller side outside off-stump. Wolvaardt picked the variation and looked to go downtown but toe ended it. She skied it as Capsey from long-on ran in and took the catch. Nadine de Klerk came out to bat next. Linsey Smith came back to bowl the 49th over as Tryon slogged it between long-on and deep midwicket for a boundary. Tryon then gave herself room and went inside out over covers for a boundary. The 300 came up for South Africa in 48.4 overs. Tryon then smashed Smith by stepping out and lifting it straight down the ground over Dean who misjudged the catch as the ball cleared the boundary for the maximum.
Lauren Bell came to bowl the final over of the innings as Nadine joined the party and picking up the length early and slamming it in the extra cover region for a boundary. Nadine then played a cheeky shot by moving across the stumps and played the scoop over short fine leg getting a top edge for a boundary. South Africa ended with 319/7 in 50 overs with Tryon unbeaten on 33 off 26 balls with 3 fours and a maximum to her name while de Klerk was unbeaten on 11 off 6 balls with 2 fours to her name. 13 extras given by the fielding side.
England bowled decently till it fell away at the end overs. Sophie Ecclestone was the pick of the bowlers for England with magical figures of 4/44 in 10 overs. Lauren Bell finished with good figures of 2/55 in 10 overs. Nat Sciver-Brunt the captain finished with 1/67 in 8 overs. Linsey Smith went for 69 runs in 10 overs. Charlie Dean finished with 0/67 in 10 overs. Alice Capsey bowled 2 overs for 15 runs. England now need a record chase of 320 runs for a place in the finals. Can they do it?
Who’s Winning, England or South Africa?
Laura Wolvaardt’s magical innings has given South Africa a substantial runs on the board. England needs a record chase of 320 to win this one. They have batting depth to win this one for sure. But there is runs on the board in a pressure game. This game can go either ways one feels. South Africa favourites at this stage, but England can chase it down. A thriller awaits us in Guwahati.
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