England crushed South Africa 137-run in the second semifinal of the Women’s World Cup in Christchurch on Thursday, thanks to Danni Wyatt’s 129. With a century from Wyatt, a 72-ball 60 from Sophia Dunkley, and wickets from Sophie Ecclestone and Anya Shrubsole, England Women have a chance to defend their ODI World Cup title.
On Sunday, April 3rd, the World Cup final will be place, with England Women playing on Australia Women. South Africa Women were one of the best teams in the group rounds, finishing second in the points standings with five victories from seven games.
Australia had won all seven of their matches, while England had won four of them, making them the first-time finalists. South Africa is an African country. Women will be dissatisfied with their semi-final performance after keeping their nerve to defeat India Women in a nail-biter; the setback eliminated India from the race and pushed South Africa to the final four.
The two powerhouses of Women’s cricket, Australia and England, will face off for the sport’s most prized trophy after weeks of high-octane cricket. Sune Luus, the South African Women’s captain, won the toss and chose to bat first, but the decision backfired against a powerful England batting line-up.
In the 18th over, England Women lost Tammy Beaumont, Heather Knight, and Nat Sciver for only 77 runs, but Danni Wyatt anchored the innings with a fluent 125-ball 129. Dunkley, wicketkeeper Amy Jones, and Sophie Ecclestone all contributed significantly to England Women’s 293 for 8 in 50 overs.
South African women were never on the search in retaliation. Laura Wolvaardt and Lizelle Lee, the openers, were both dismissed in the first four overs. Lara Goodall, Sune Luus, Mignon du Preez, and Marizanne Kapp all received starts but failed to convert them into anything meaningful in their attempts to challenge England Women.
“I’m ecstatic. “(It was) a full performance today,” England Women’s captain Heather Knight said at the post-match presentation ceremony. “The gals gave it their best when the game was on the line.” I’m overjoyed and excited about Sunday. Wyatt was fantastic, and she was very selective with the balls she attacked; she didn’t get mired down in fielder selection.
“Her innings in the middle and her combination with Dunkley were essential in winning the game. Ecclestone has been terrific, and she bowled beautifully. She’s come into her own on this pitch with Dean, and she’s completed the innings strongly with the bat as well.
It’s been a good day for her. Excitement for the final, it’s a new day, and everyone is equal in the morning. A long tour required a lot of labour and energy, and now it’s only one more push.”
Wyatt, meanwhile, was selected player-of-the-match for her 129, which helped England reach 293 for 8 in 5 overs. She agreed with her captain and stated that the team gave a comprehensive performance in a crucial game. “Today’s performance by the girls was outstanding. Dunks (Dunkley) has been outstanding throughout the event and carries herself with a tremendous head on her shoulders.
We have to be aggressive between the wickets while maintaining a positive attitude. Now all I have to do is stay positive and assist my team in getting off to a good start. This is for the crew; we’ve been together for several months and it’s been a difficult road.”
Published By : Ankit Singh
Edited By : Khushi Thakur
