Wolvaardt Hits 169 as South Africa Post 319 vs England in World Cup Semi-Final

Laura Wolvaardt's maiden World Cup century helped South Africa overcome a few challenging moments and post a commanding total in their semi-final clash with England in Guwahati. Moreover, her innings came when South Africa needed the most composure.

Wolvaardt's breathtaking 169 lifted her side to 319 for 7. It came despite Sophie Ecclestone's superb spell of 4 for 44. The England spinner, as she overcame a shoulder injury suffered in the previous match, was once again her team’s best performer with the ball.

Wolvaardt was in a league of her own among her teammates in South Africa's batting line-up. Her innings was full of elegant drives early on, and later turned into a flurry of leg-side power shots as she accelerated after the fall of the 6th wicket.

However, the innings wasn’t without its tense moments. South Africa slipped from 116 without loss to 119 for 3, as Ecclestone struck twice in four balls to dismantle the excellent structure laid down by Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits.

Brits could have been out for 1 off what would have been the sharpest of return catches by Lauren Bell and had attempted a reverse-sweep off 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.

Then Anneke Bosch, brought into the starting XI to bolster 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.

Nat Sciver-Brunt made it three down when Sune Luus played across one outside off and chopped onto off stump.

Meanwhile, Bell put down another tough chance, leaping to her left at short fine leg off Marizanne Kapp, who was on 36 at the time. But Kapp added just a handful more runs before Ecclestone returned with immediate impact. Kapp lofted a fuller ball outside off stump high over mid-on, where Charlie Dean ran back and settled underneath it, ending a 72-run stand for the 4th wicket.

Bell beat Sinalo Jafta's outside edge with one that straightened a touch to smash into middle and off. Another clutch of South African 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-meter six over wide long-on, Wolvaardt bided her time through Ecclestone's final over, which included a hopeful yet unsuccessful review for lbw off Chloe Tryon on the last ball.

Wolvaardt then helped herself to 13 of the 15 runs to come off the next over, from Sciver-Brunt, including another six over long-on, followed by an authoritative pulled four through backward square.

Sciver-Brunt was proving expensive, conceding 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 ended up conceding 20 off the over, all but one of them to Wolvaardt.

Eventually, Wolvaardt finally holed out to Alice 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 incredible.

That brought in Nadine de Klerk, this tournament's leading striker to date. Tryon also helped the team score big with back-to-back fours, then a 6 off Smith. Tryon finished unbeaten on 33 off 26 balls, and together with de Klerk added 28 crucial runs that pushed South Africa's total well beyond 300.