Key events
That’s all for today. Thanks for your company and emails – we’ll be back in the morning for the second semi-final between India and Australia. Goodnight!
Laura Wolvaardt speaks with her captain’s hat on
Very special. Losing to England in the semis of the last two [ODI] World Cups really hurt so just really pleased to get the win tonight.
[Did the 69 all out feature in your mind before the game?] It did a little bit! Same opposition, same venue; your mind automatically goes back to that game. Losing the toss wasn’t the worst thing in the world – we’d have bowled too but I think it turned out all right.
I didn’t know if we had enough runs as it was a pretty flat wicket. Kappy was phenomenal. As long as Nat was there it looked like it go either way so we were really happy to get her out.
[On Marizanne Kapp] She was so special. Throughout the tournament she’s been finding a way with the ball and in this game she looked right on it.
Nat Sciver-Brunt’s reaction
What an incredible two innings from South Africa. We weren’t at our best and to beat the best teams you need to put a whole game together. We didn’t do that and we’re hugely disappointed. It’ll take a bit of time to sink in.
[On the last 10 overs of SA’s innings] Laura Wolvaardt had the best of the conditions, she knew what she was doing and she took advantage. We stuck at it, we didn’t let the occasion get to us in the field.
[On the start to England’s innings] Kappy bowled some brilliant deliveries. It’s not ideal losing three very quick wickets and that made the chase very difficult.
[On England’s World Cup overall] We’ve come a long way since the summer and we’ve learned a lot about ourselves. This will hurt but hopefully in time we’ll be able to take the learnings from it and move forward. Hopefully we’ll come back stronger.
Raf Nicholson’s report is here
England coach Charlotte Edwards is talking to Sky Sports
I’m incredibly proud of what the team have achieved in the past few weeks, so to not play our best cricket today is disappointing and something we’ll have to reflect on.
[Was the pressure too much for England?] Look, two players performed really, really well on the big stage. When somebody gets 160-odd and somebody gets five-for, you’re not gonna be on the winning side too many times. I think the players put everything into today and it wasn’t to be for us.
[On haemorrhaging runs in the last 10 overs] That’s happened a few times and it’s an area we need to address. There was some good hitting and it can be hard to restrict someone who’s got 160 on a really good wicket. Credit to South Africa.
[Could you have played another seamer given the red soil?] Hindsight’s a wonderful thing. That combination has served us really well throughout the comp. At times we just didn’t hit our straps today; those last 10 overse really cost us.
I came into the role and I knew it wouldn’t change overnight. Some really positive things have come out of this trip, and I think we’ve performed a little bit better under pressure, but there are also certain moments we haven’t seized. That’s an ongoing thing.
Overall we are making progress and I think that’s the most important thing, but ultimately you’re defined by results and today we’re going out of a World Cup at the semi-final stage. I’m a winner. I don’t like losing. But equally I knew what I took on with this role; I knew it wouldn’t be a quick fix.
This makes me more hungry to go home and work with these players over the winter period. Some players will be going to the Big Bash but there will be a group of players training from December through to March. We’ve got camps in Oman and South Africa where we’ll spend time with these players and upskill them. That’s exciting for me. We’ve targeted 13-15 players who we’re going to work really hard with.
We won’t make any rash decisions but we’ve got to look to the future. We’ve got some unbelievable talent coming through.
It’ll be a sad dressing-room. I don’t think I’ll say too much tonight; there isn’t much you can say that will make things better.
Laura Wolvaardt’s reaction
It still feels a bit unreal. Scoring a hundred in a World Cup knockout game is the kind of thing you dream about as a kid. It’s a very special day and I’m so glad we won.
We knew the start of our innings would be crucial. [Tasmin Brits] and I have been strong at the top of the order and I think when we bat well it feeds into the rest of the line-up.
[On her devastating hitting at the end] My goal was to hold things together, get to the 40th over, and then let [the lower order] whack it at the end. I thought, ‘While I’m here I might as well have a swing’.
It has to be at the top [of her list of best innings], because of the context of the game and winning the game against a very strong bowling attack.
The player of the match is Laura Wolvaardt
Surely it should have been a joint award. Anyway, here’s what she had to say…
The semi-finals were par for England at the start of the tournament, but the crushing nature of this defeat will really hurt.
South Africa’s victory was set up by two epic performances. The captain Laura Wolvaardt made an amazing 169, smashing England all round Guwahati at the back end of the innings. The ferocious Marizanne Kapp supported her with a fine 42 and demolished England by taking 5 for 20 with the ball. South Africa were just far too good.
South Africa win by 125 runs!
WICKET! England 194 all out (Smith c Luus b De Klerk 27) And there it is! Smith is well caught at mid-off to complete an historic and emphatic victory for South Africa, who will play in an ODI World Cup final for the first time.
41st over: England 194-9 (Smith 27, Bell 9) Bell cuts Tryon for her first boundary, then mashes another down the ground. The winning moment is surely imminent…
41st over: England 186-9 (Smith 27, Bell 1) It’s less than a month since England beat South Africa by 10 wickets with 214 balls to spare. I can’t recall a bigger turnaround at a Women’s World Cup.
40th over: England 184-9 (Smith 26, Bell 0) Linsey Smith lifts Tryon for a couple of fours, one on each side of the wicket.
England need 136 from the last 10 overs. Not even Laura Wolvaardt managed that.
39th over: England 175-9 (Smith 17, Bell 0) I did say England fans should harness their hopes.
WICKET! England 175-9 (Wyatt-Hodge c sub b De Klerk 34)
De Klerk is back in the attack. No need to risk Marizanne Kapp, who has already blown England’s run-chase so far off course that they’re in a different postcode.
And the exhaust pipe has just fallen off. Danni Wyatt-Hodge, who played in a very difficult situation, clips De Klerk straight to the substitute Tumi Sekhukune at deep backward square leg.
38th over: England 173-8 (Wyatt-Hodge 33, Smith 16) England are going down swinging. Smith is dropped by Bosch at deep midwicket, a very tough chance diving forward, then Wyatt-Hodge slashes Mlaba for four.
37th over: England 167-8 (Wyatt-Hodge 28, Smith 15) This won’t necessarily be the end of an era for England. They have a home T20 World Cup next year so you’d be deeply dippy to write off players like Heather Knight.
I’m sure some of the thirtysomethings will retire from ODI cricket after this tournament but there’s no reason they won’t make the T20 World Cup.
36th over: England 164-8 (Wyatt-Hodge 27, Smith 13) Smith chips Mlaba jauntily for four, avocados a six over mid-off and is then dropped by the bowler. Quite a tough chance above her head.
Mlaba hurt a finger trying to take the catch. The good news for South Africa is it’s on her right hand, which she doesn’t use for pressing business.
35th over: England 155-8 (Wyatt-Hodge 27, Smith 4)
34th over: England 152-8 (Wyatt-Hodge 27, Smith 1) This is an historic day for South African cricket, the first time they have reached an ODI World Cup final. The women’s team have lost three semi-finals, the men’s team five. But South African cricket has been on the rise in the last few years, with T20 World Cup finals and the men’s Test Championship victory. This day has been coming.
WICKET! England 151-8 (Ecclestone c Dercksen b Mlaba 2)
South Africa are two wickets away from an historic victory. Ecclestone top-edges a sweep and is comfortably caught at deep midwicket. England, sad to say, are being thrashed.
33rd over: England 151-7 (Wyatt-Hodge 27, Ecclestone 2) Kapp is replaced by Khaka, which seems strange but is presumably to ensure she doesn’t pick up any muscle injuries ahead of Sunday’s final. She was off the field with cramp earlier in the innings.
Khaka concedes a single, then the players stop for a drink. The England dugout looks shell-shocked.
32nd over: England 150-7 (Wyatt-Hodge 27, Ecclestone 1) Wyatt-Hodge slaps Tryon to the cover boundary, then fresh-airs a violent slog-sweep. The other South African bowlers have taken 2 for 130 between them; Kapp has 5 for 20.
Even chasing 320, England would have been right in the game without those two spells from Kapp. Her competitive spirit – I wouldn’t want to face her at tiddlywinks, never mind cricket – should be donated to the MCC’s Museum when she retires.
31st over: England 144-7 (Wyatt-Hodge 22, Ecclestone 0) Ecclestone, whose delightful bowling earlier in the day was all for nothing, survives the hat-trick ball.
For the second time today, Kapp bowls a double-wicket maiden.
WICKET! England 144-7 (Dean c Jafra b Kapp 0)
Marizanne Kapp is on a hat-trick! Charlie Dean, whose batting has been so good in this tournament, snicks another immaculate delivery through to the keeper. It didn’t do a lot but the line and length were just perfect.
Kapp has a five-for in a World Cup semi-final – and she has overtaken Jhulan Goswami to become the leading wickettaker in Women’s World Cups!
WICKET! England 144-6 (Dunkley c Jafta b Dunkley 2)
Another one! Dunkley thin-edging a nothing shot through to the keeper to give Kapp her fourth wicket.
It’s the player of the match adjudicator I feel for. Laura Wolvaardt hit an astonishing 169 and now Marizanne Kapp has figures of 6.2-2-20-4.
30th over: England 144-5 (Wyatt-Hodge 22, Dunkley 2) Tryon hurries through another thrifty over, with just a single to Dunkley off the last ball. England are cooked now: they need 176 from the last 20 overs. And Kapp can bowl four of them.
29th over: England 143-5 (Wyatt-Hodge 22, Dunkley 1) Sciver-Brunt played beautifully but she was undone by a true champion. It was a superb delivery from Kapp, fullish and with just enough seam movement to take the edge.
Kapp almost takes her fourth wicket when Sophia Dunkley is dropped by the keeper Jafta, a tough chance diving to her right.
A killer blow for England. Sciver-Brunt tries to work Kapp to leg and gets a thin edge through to Jafta. Kapp yells with delight, knowing that is worth two or three wickets – and that South Africa are on the brink of reaching their first ODI World Cup final.
WICKET! England 138-5 (Sciver-Brunt c Jafta b Kapp 64)
Marizane Kapp has done it!
28th over: England 138-4 (Sciver-Brunt 64, Wyatt-Hodge 18) Wyatt-Hodge thwacks Tryon inside-out over extra cover for four. She’s such a dangerous player. Later in the over Sciver-Brunt hits a forehand pass that is marvellously stopped by the sprawling de Klerk on the boundary; that saved two runs, and South Africa might need them.
27th over: England 130-4 (Sciver-Brunt 61, Wyatt-Hodge 13) A statement of intent from Wyatt-Hodge, who glides Kapp’s first ball beautifully for four. Three singles make it a decent over for England, even if the required rate is now 8.26 per over.
Marizanne Kapp is coming on to bowl. This, right here, could be the game.
26th over: England 123-4 (Sciver-Brunt 60, Wyatt-Hodge 7) “The one I have never understood is when someone ‘cloths’ the ball?” says John Starbuck. “Where did that come from? PS Tony Blackburn, in true Fast Show Smashie and Nicey style, used to ask, in hope more than expectation, ‘Is there anybody out there?’ because no calls to his broadcasts invalidated his work, he reckoned. Steer clear.”
You should send that to ‘Ask Steven’ on Cricinfo.
25th over: England 119-4 (Sciver-Brunt 58, Wyatt-Hodge 5) Sciver-Brunt smashes a pull on the bounce to deep square, where the substitute Shangase does superbly to save three runs.
At the same stage, South Africa were… 119 for 2.
Sciver-Brunt dropped on 54!
24.2 overs: England 115-4 (Sciver-Brunt 56, Wyatt-Hodge 4) Sciver-Brunt muscles Luus towards straight midwicket, where Brits leaps to her left but can’t hang on to a very tough one-handed chance.
Brits fell awkwardly on her right wrist and is leaving the field for treatment.
24th over: England 112-4 (Sciver-Brunt 54, Wyatt-Hodge 3) England’s task is to take this as deep as possible. Even, say, 100 off the last 10 overs with four wickets remaining would give them a chance, provided one of those four is Sciver-Brunt.
23rd over: England 109-4 (Sciver-Brunt 53, Wyatt-Hodge 1) Sciver-Brunt also reached her fifty in that Luus over, driving majestically over mid-off for six. Capsey tried to play a similar stroke and was caught.
WICKET! England 108-4 (Capsey b de Klerk b Luus 50)
Alice Capsey has thrown it away! After playing with such maturity to reach her maiden ODI fifty, she drove Luus straight to mid-off and was safely caught by Nadine de Klerk. Capsey walks off with her head down after a frustrating end to an otherwise fine innings. Blame it upon a rush of blood to the head.
22nd over: England 99-3 (Sciver-Brunt 45, Capsey 49) Another left-arm spinner, Chloe Tryon, replaces Mlaba and concedes only a couple from her first over. Capsey is frustrated when she mistimes a wide ball straight into the ground.
“Is there some sort of contest amongst OBOers to use the widest variety of terms for hitting the ball?” writes Andy Pechey. “Tanya had shots being mangoed, frying panned, baguetted, etc., so I’m looking forward to what variety you can conjure up. (Might be all we have to enjoy!)”
I’m afraid Tanya is miles better than me in this department (and most others). But I’ll see what I can find in my urban Roget.
21st over: England 97-3 (Sciver-Brunt 45, Capsey 47) Sciver-Brunt blasts Luus down the ground for four to continue England’s revival. Her ability to compartmentalise her batting – after the utter chaos at the end of South Africa’s innings and the start of England’s – is extraordinary.
