Women’s World Cup 2025: South Africa Storms Into Final With Massive 125-Run Victory Over England

South Africa have finally broken the barrier. After years of heartbreaks in knockout games, the Proteas stormed into their first-ever Women’s ODI World Cup final with a stunning 125-run win over England in New Delhi.

Laura Wolvaardt and Marizanne Kapp were the stars of the night, one with the bat, the other with the ball, scripting history for South African cricket.

Batting first in the high-pressure semi-final, Wolvaardt played one of the greatest innings ever seen in a World Cup knockout.

The South African skipper smashed a breathtaking 169 off just 143 balls, hitting 20 fours and four sixes. Her knock was the third-highest in a World Cup knockout, only behind Harmanpreet Kaur’s 171* and Alyssa Healy’s 170.

Wolvaardt’s innings set the tone for South Africa’s domination. She first built a 116-run opening stand with Tazmin Brits (45) before adding 72 with Marizanne Kapp (42).

Cloe Tryon’s quickfire 33* in the final overs pushed South Africa to a commanding total of 320/5. Sophie Ecclestone was England’s lone bright spot, picking up 4 wickets for 44 runs despite nursing a shoulder injury.

Chasing 321, England were rocked early by Kapp’s fiery spell. The veteran all-rounder produced magic under cloudy skies, taking 5 wickets for just 20 runs as England crumbled under pressure.

From 1/3 in just the second over, the defending champions never recovered. Only Nat Sciver-Brunt (64) and Alice Capsey (50) showed some resistance, adding 107 runs, but Kapp’s brilliance ended all hopes of a comeback.

For South Africa, it was not just a win, it was redemption. The same England side had crushed them earlier in the tournament, but this time Wolvaardt and Kapp made sure history wouldn’t repeat itself.