A few key numbers tell the entire story of South Africa’s historic 125-run semi-final win over England. 169 from Laura Wolvaardt, 5/20 from Marizanne Kapp, and a catastrophic 1/3 start for England.
Wolvaardt’s 169 was the foundation, an innings of two halves. It began with a 115-ball century and ended with a 28-ball, 69-run explosion that set a massive 319-run total.
Then, Kapp’s 5/20. The “queen of seam” was unplayable, delivering a double-wicket maiden and becoming the all-time leading World Cup wicket-taker.
Finally, England’s 1/3. That was the scoreboard after Kapp’s opening spell, with the one run being a wide and the top three batters all out for ducks. It was a hole no team could escape.
Despite a 107-run stand for the fourth wicket and four wickets for Sophie Ecclestone, the day was defined by those three dominant figures. They were the numbers that added up to South Africa’s first-ever 50-over final.