Browsing: South

Laura Wolvaardt and Marizanne Kapp powered South Africa to their first-ever ODI World Cup final with a 125-run win over England (Images via AP) Captain Laura Wolvaardt produced a masterclass with the bat before Marizanne Kapp delivered a superb five-wicket haul as South Africa outplayed England by 125 runs to storm into their first-ever Womenâ€s ODI World Cup final on Wednesday. Wolvaardtâ€s magnificent 169 off 143 balls anchored South Africaâ€s total of 319/7, setting England a record chase in the semifinal. Despite a fighting stand in the middle, the four-time champions were bowled out for 194 in 42.3 overs, with Kapp doing the bulk of the damage. “It still feels a bit unreal. You dream as a kid of scoring a hundred in a World Cup knock-out game,†Wolvaardt said after receiving the Player of the Match award. “This probably has to be right at the top considering the context, a World Cup semi-final. It is right up there,†she added. After being put in to bat, South Africa got a solid start through Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits (45), who shared a 116-run stand for the opening wicket. Sophie Ecclestone led Englandâ€s fightback with figures of 4 for 44, twice halting South Africaâ€s momentum. However, Wolvaardt found able support in Marizanne Kapp (42) as the pair rebuilt with a 72-run partnership. From 202 for six, Wolvaardtâ€s calculated acceleration — mixing elegant drives with powerful strokes through midwicket — lifted South Africa past the 300-run mark. Her knock included 20 fours and four sixes, bringing up her 150 with a six over midwicket and also taking her past 5000 ODI runs. Late cameos from Chloe Tryon (33*) and Nadine de Klerk (11*) added 117 runs in the final ten overs, ensuring a strong finish for the Proteas. Chasing 320, Englandâ€s reply faltered early as Kapp struck twice in her opening spell, dismissing Amy Jones and Heather Knight to set the tone. Though Nat Sciver-Brunt (64) and Alice Capsey (50) stitched together a 107-run stand, Kapp returned to remove Sciver-Brunt, effectively ending Englandâ€s resistance.

Poll

Who was the standout player in the Women’s ODI World Cup semifinal between South Africa and England?

Kapp finished with 5 for 20, sealing a memorable win for South Africa — a performance that also erased memories of their league-stage collapse against the same opposition.Additionally, this is also South Africa’s first World Cup final appearance across genders, making the win all the more historic. The second semifinal between India and Australia will be played on Thursday in Navi Mumbai.

Source link

Dismal England were knocked out of the Women’s World Cup after a thumping 125-run defeat by South Africa in the semi-final.

Laura Wolvaardt played one of the great one-day innings with 169 from 143 balls at the top of the order as the Proteas, who lost to England in the previous two World Cup semis, posted an imposing 319-7 in Guwahati.

Faced with a record chase in a knockout game, England suffered a horror start as they slumped to 1-3 with Amy Jones, Tammy Beaumont and Heather Knight all falling for ducks.

Jones and Knight were both bowled by a fired-up Marizanne Kapp and Beaumont was caught behind off Ayabonga Khaka, but Nat Sciver-Brunt and Alice Capsey steadied the innings with a composed stand of 105.

The pressure of the chase mounted and Capsey fell shortly after reaching her first ODI fifty before Kapp delivered again, all-but confirming South Africa’s win with the wicket of England’s captain for 64.

The star all-rounder then added Sophia Dunkley and Charlie Dean to her tally to finish with a sensational 5-20 as England finished 194 all out.

England batted poorly but they did little wrong in the field; they were at the mercy of Wolvaardt’s majestic and chanceless innings.

She timed her knock and South Africa’s total to perfection. After 40 overs, they were 202-5 with Wolvaardt on 101, before an astonishing acceleration saw 117 runs pummelled from the last 10.

Sophie Ecclestone was the pick of England’s bowlers with 4-44 despite her shoulder injury – she took two wickets in one over when South Africa slipped from 116-0 to 119-3.

But England struggled to keep hold of the momentum as Kapp scored a counter-attacking 42, and despite another three quick wickets falling, Wolvaardt started her onslaught with crucial support from Chloe Tryon’s 33 not out.

South Africa will face either India or Australia in their first World Cup final on Sunday, with those two teams playing in Navi Mumbai on Thursday.

Source link

Mohammed Shami (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images) Mohammed Shami has made a thunderous statement with the red ball, reminding everyone of his class and hunger for Test cricket. Turning out for Bengal in the ongoing Ranji Trophy, the veteran pacer has picked up an incredible 15 wickets in just two matches, making a strong case for his return to the Indian squad ahead of the South Africa Test series. In Bengalâ€s latest outing against Gujarat at Eden Gardens, Shami produced a masterclass in fast bowling, claiming eight wickets in the match to seal a 141-run win for his side. The 35-year-old ripped through Gujaratâ€s batting line-up with figures of 10-1-38-5 in the second innings, bundling them out for 185 while chasing 327 on the final day. Earlier in the game, he had bagged 3 for 44 in the first innings, setting the tone for a convincing victory.Also Watch:

Suryakumar Yadav press conference: On Shreyas Iyer’s injury, his own form and Australia series

This performance followed his stunning effort in the first-round clash against Uttarakhand, where he picked up seven wickets to guide Bengal to an eight-wicket win. With 15 wickets from two matches, Shami now sits third on the wicket-takers†chart for the season, behind Jammu and Kashmirâ€s Auqib Nabi Dar (17) and Services†Arjun Sharma (16). Shami last featured for India in the Champions Trophy final earlier this year and has been out of international action since then. His last Test appearance came in the 2023 World Test Championship final. The senior pacerâ€s recent form appears to be a direct response to national selectors, particularly chairman Ajit Agarkar, who had recently stated that Shami needed more game time before being considered for a recall. The bowler had replied confidently, saying, “Let him say whatever he wants. You have seen how I bowled. It is all in front of your eyes.†With his fiery performances for Bengal, Shami has now ensured that the selectors cannot ignore what is indeed right in front of their eyes.

Source link

The South Africa cricket team is set to be bolstered by the return of their inspirational captain Temba Bavuma for the upcoming two-match Test series against India in India.

The Protea recently began their title defence of the ICC World Test Championship without Bavuma when they toured Pakistan for a two-Test series, which was drawn 1-1.

The series was played on spin-friendly raging turners of surfaces in Lahore and Rawalpindi, designed to accentuate Pakistanâ€s spin-bowling potency. However, the Protea spinners Senuran Muthusamy, Simon Harmer, and Keshav Maharaj matched or even outperformed the home spinners.

Pakistan won a close contest in Lahore by 93 runs but were beaten by eight wickets in Rawalpindi.

Now, the Protea men will tour India for a two-match rubber in November.

When is India vs South Africa Test series?

The first Test between India and South Africa will be played in Kolkata from November 14, and the second Test is to be hosted in Guwahati from November 22. Both Tests are scheduled to start at 09:30 AM IST.

For their squad against India, South Africa have made a couple of changes to their squad that flew to Pakistan: Temba Bavuma replaces David Bedingham, and offspinner Prenelan Subrayen is dropped.

Bedingham didnâ€t play a single Test in the Pakistan series, while Subrayen featured in the first Test and returned with only two wickets.

Under Bavuma, South Africa won their first ICC trophy in the 21st century at the senior menâ€s level by beating Pat Cummins†Australia in the ICC WTC Final at Lordâ€s in June. However, Bavuma missed the Test series in Pakistan because of a calf strain.

Now fit, the South African captain is set to lead the ICC World Test Champions against Shubman Gillâ€s Indian unit that hammered the West Indies 2-0 at home earlier this month.

Bavuma will get solid match practice, as he will feature in the India A vs South Africa A match in Bengaluru, which begins on October 30.

Corbin Bosch, Kagiso Rabada, and Marco Jansen are the three frontline speedsters in South Africaâ€s squad, who will work in support of seam-bowling all-rounder Wiaan Mulder.

The IND vs SA Test series will also be the first Test series in India for South Africaâ€s young guns Tristan Stubbs and Dewald Brevis.

IND vs SA: South Africa squad for India Test Series

Temba Bavuma (C), Ryan Rickelton (wk), Tristan Stubbs, Kagiso Rabada, Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Dewald Brevis, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Zubayr Hamza, Corbin Bosch, Senuran Muthusamy, Wiaan Mulder, Simon Harmer

After the conclusion of the Test series, the two teams will contest three ODIs and five T20Is.

Get the Latest Cricket Updates at IceCric.News. Also, Follow Our Social Media for live updates on Facebook and Instagram.

Source link

Despite losing three games in the group stages, India – their semi-final opponents – still feel the most likely team to beat them, having posted 330 against them in the pick of the group-stage games, only for it to prove at least 20 runs short.

They are also the most recent team to beat Australia in an ODI, in the pre-World Cup series which Healy’s side won 2-1, and will have a likely home crowd in their favour.

It makes for an intriguing batting match-up. Similarly, India have a very strong opening partnership in Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal, who are averaging 82.8, but the latter may be a doubt for the semi-finals after sustaining an injury to her knee and ankle in the field against Bangladesh.

They also have strong batting depth but it has cost them in the bowling department, which could be the difference. India, with fewer all-rounders, have mostly opted for the extra batter and five bowlers but that saw Australia chase 330 with relative ease, so they are still searching for the right balance with their XI.

For England, they are outperforming their rivals with the ball in both the powerplay and the death overs, while their spin attack has taken the second-most wickets (37) and has the second-best average (19.2).

However, they are considerably far behind with the bat with strike-rates of 85.8 and 74 against pace and spin respectively – particularly struggling in the middle overs where they score at 4.55 runs per over at an average of 34.

South Africa, meanwhile, have the best powerplay bowling record in terms of economy, which could be a good contest considering Australia’s top-order strength.

They also have considerably the best batting record between overs 41-50, thanks to the lower order power-hitting of Nadine de Klerk in clutch chases against India and Bangladesh. They average 53 in overs 41-50 with the next best being Australia’s 31.3.

A huge element to the challenge of coming up against Australia, though, is not one that can be conveyed through stats – it comes from the mental game.

Whoever is to beat them knows they must put out pretty much the perfect performance under the highest pressure, and even then they might still be relying on Australia to make a few mistakes of their own.

Speaking of which, Australia mistakes in the field are rare – they take almost 77% of their catches, which ranks them second in the tournament.

They are behind England who, after so much criticism about fielding standards and fitness in recent years, top the catching charts with an efficiency of almost 83%.

Source link

England’s bowling has impressed since the beginning of the tournament, particularly the spin trio of Sophie Ecclestone, Linsey Smith and Charlie Dean – though they will be nervously waiting on the fitness of the former after she hurt her shoulder against the White Ferns.

The batting line-up presented more concerns but openers Tammy Beaumont and Amy Jones, who added their fourth stand of more than fifty at Visakhapatnam on Sunday, have started to find their groove at a very convenient time.

“There have been a lot of questions about Jones and Beaumont at the top of the order being able to play the in-swinging ball,” Hartley added.

“Tammy has made a shift and is batting on off-stump now and she looks a lot more comfortable. She would have wanted to get more runs against New Zealand but that opening partnership is just starting to tick as we are getting down to the nitty gritty.

“That’s what you want – you want to be playing your best cricket as you are getting into the latter stages.”

Heather Knight and Sciver-Brunt have been fluent throughout but there are still question marks over the middle order, which coach Charlotte Edwards rejigged against New Zealand but they were not needed in the eight-wicket win.

Emma Lamb, who struggled at number six with 36 runs in five innings, was dropped for Danni Wyatt-Hodge while Alice Capsey was listed to come in at five instead of seven, swapping with the out of form Sophia Dunkley.

England must be prepared to adapt as they return to the slow, spin-friendly surface of Guwahati from the flatter pitches of Indore and Vizag, while India and Australia contest the second semi in Navi Mumbai, which is also hosting the final on 2 November.

Source link

The South Africa W vs Australia W match in the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup took place on October 25, 2025, at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore. The Australian women’s team won the toss for this match and, as per the pitch conditions, they decided to bowl first. During their innings, the South African women’s team was completely outclassed by the Australian bowling attack, with Alana King taking 7 wickets for 18 runs in her 7 overs. With this brilliant performance, Alana King has surpassed Jacqueline Lord’s record of best-ever bowling figures in ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup history. The Australian women’s team completely bowled out the South African women’s team at the score of 97 runs.

During their chase, the Australian women’s team lost a couple of wickets in the early overs, with their first wicket falling at the score of 6 runs in the third over. However, Australia easily chased this target and defeated the South African women’s team by 7 wickets. The Player of the Match award for this match was awarded to Alana King for her brilliant bowling spell.

South Africa W vs Australia W 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup: What’s Next for Australia?

After winning the South Africa W vs Australia W match in the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup, the Australian women’s team has officially become the only team in this tournament that has remained undefeated in the group stage. With this win, it is now confirmed that the Australian women’s team will face the Indian women’s team in the semi-finals of the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup on Thursday, 30 October 2025, at the Dr DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.

South Africa W vs Australia W 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup: What’s Next for South Africa?

After losing the South Africa W vs Australia W match, the South African women’s team currently sits in the second position on the points table with 10 points. South Africa has already qualified for the semi-finals in the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup, and they will be facing the England women’s team on Wednesday, 29 October 2025, at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati.

FAQs

Q. Has the Australian women’s team lost any match in this 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup?

A. The Australian women’s team has played 7 matches in this tournament, and they have won all 6 of their matches, and one of their matches was abandoned because of rain.

Q. Which team has won the most Women’s ODI World Cups?

A. The Australian women’s team has won the Women’s ODI World Cup 7 times.

Q. Has the South African women’s team ever won the Women’s ODI World Cup?

A. The South African women’s team has never been able to win the Women’s ODI World Cup.

Q. Is Alyssa Healy still injured?

A. Alyssa Healy reportedly suffered a calf injury, and she also missed the match against the South African women’s team.

Q. Who is the Australian women’s team going to face in the Semi-Finals?

A. The Australian women’s team will face the Indian women’s team in the semi-finals of the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup.

Get the Latest Cricket Updates at IceCric.News. Also, Follow Our Social Media for live updates on Facebook and Instagram.

Source link

South Africa have previous for being dismantled by spin. In their 10-wicket demolition at the hands of England, left-arm spinner Linsey Smith accounted for Wolvaardt, Brits, and Kapp as she claimed figures of 3-7 while Sophie Ecclestone and Charlie Dean took two wickets apiece.

On Saturday, an inspired performance from King was at the heart of their collapse, exposing frailties against spin, when batting first, and when their top-order fails to fire.

Australia, by contrast, head into the semi-finals not only unbeaten, but boosted by yet another player stepping up with a match-defining performance.

King’s first two wickets were handed to her, Sune Luus and Marizanne Kapp both attempting needlessly aggressive shots and popping simple catches to fielders, but there was little good fortune about the rest of her spell.

She began with 14 consecutive dot balls, taking wickets with four of them, and bowled 33 in total from 42 deliveries.

Four of her seven wickets were bowled, with Annerie Dercksen undone by a flighted delivery and Sinalo Jafta, Masabata Klaas, and Nadine de Klerk falling victim to the grip and turn she got off the surface.

Relentless in her approach, the majority of her deliveries, including six of her seven wicket-taking balls, were good or back of a length.

King had largely gone under the radar during Australia’s campaign. Economical but unremarkable in the middle overs, her six wickets had been overshadowed by all-round contributions from fellow spinner Gardner and Annabel Sutherland.

But on Saturday, she reminded everyone of the threat she poses in the middle overs, orchestrating South Africa’s collapse from 42-2 to 97 all out.

She has now taken 13 wickets at this World Cup and 25 wickets in just 12 ODIs in 2025, with the latter haul bettered by only Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, and Nonkululeko Mlaba, all of whom have played at least three matches more than the Australian and cannot match her average (15.52) or economy (4.34).

Source link

The Australia W vs South Africa W match in the 2025 Womenâ€s ODI World Cup is scheduled to take place at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore on October 25, 2025. The weather conditions from Indore for this match indicate that there is a 50% chance that rain might cause interruptions during this match. Generally, the pitch at the Holkar Stadium is known as a batting-friendly pitch, with average team totals in this tournament ranging between 260 and 280. The toss-winning team is highly predicted to bat first, as bowlers may find some help on this pitch during the second half of the game.

The Australian womenâ€s team has faced the South African womenâ€s team 18 times in an ODI match, with Australia having the upper hand and winning 16 matches. Australia will enter this match with confidence, hoping to maintain their undefeated streak. On the other hand, the South African team has just lost one match and has won all the remaining matches, and they will also hope to win their last group stage match and finish at the top of the table.

Australia W vs South Africa W 2025 Womenâ€s ODI World Cup: What To Expect?

The Australia W vs South Africa W match will be the final match of Australia and South Africaâ€s group stage schedule. So far in this tournament, the Australian womenâ€s team has won all of their group stage matches and is the only undefeated team in this tournament. The South African womenâ€s team lost their first match of the tournament against England; however, after that, South Africa has won all of their matches.

Currently, the Australian womenâ€s team sits at the top of the points table with 11 points, and the South African womenâ€s team sits in the second position on the points table with 10 points. Whosoever wins this match will confirm their number one spot on the points table and will face the Indian womenâ€s team in the semi-finals of the 2025 Womenâ€s ODI World Cup on October 29, 2025, at Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati.

Australia W vs South Africa W 2025 Womenâ€s ODI World Cup: Expected Playing XI

Here is the predicted team lineup of South Africa W and Pakistan W in the 2025 Womenâ€s ODI World Cup:

Australia W Expected Playing XISouth Africa W Expected Playing XIBeth Mooney (wk)Laura Wolvaardt (c)Phoebe LitchfieldTazmin BritsEllyse PerrySune LuusTahlia McGrath (c)Marizanne KappAshleigh GardnerChloe TryonGeorgia VollNadine de KlerkAnnabel SutherlandMignon du PreezAlana KingSinalo Jafta (wk)Megan SchuttNonkululeko MlabaKim GarthMasabata KlaasDarcie BrownShabnim Ismail

Australia W vs South Africa W 2025 Womenâ€s ODI World Cup: Where to watch

In India, the Australia W vs South Africa W match can be watched live via Star Sports Network and JioHotstar on October 20, 2025, at 3:00 PM IST. Fans in Australia can watch this match live on Amazon Prime Video, and fans in South Africa can watch this match live via SuperSport and the SuperSport app.

FAQs

Q. Has the South African womenâ€s team qualified for the 2025 Womenâ€s ODI World Cup?

A. The South African womenâ€s team has qualified for the 2025 Womenâ€s ODI World Cup and currently sits at the second position on the table.

Q. Who is the current captain of the South African womenâ€s team?

A. Laura Wolvaardt is the current captain of the South African womenâ€s team in the 2025 Womenâ€s ODI World Cup.

Q. Has the Australian womenâ€s team qualified for the 2025 Womenâ€s ODI World Cup?

A. The Australian womenâ€s team is the only undefeated team in this tournament and has qualified for the 2025 Womenâ€s ODI World Cup, and currently sits at the top of the table.

Q. Is Alyssa Healy still injured?

A. It is reported that Alyssa Healy was seen training on Friday; however, it is expected that she will miss the match against the South African women’s team.

Q. Who replaces Alyssa Healy as the captain of the Australian womenâ€s team?

A. Tahlia McGrath will take the place of Alyssa Healy as the captain of the Australian womenâ€s team.

Get the Latest Cricket Updates at IceCric.News. Also, Follow Our Social Media for live updates on Facebook and Instagram.

Source link

Australia vs South Africa Live Score, Women’s World Cup 2025: Australia Women opted to bowl first after winning the toss against South Africa in their final group-stage encounter, with skipper Tahlia McGrath citing the venueâ€s tendency to favor teams batting second and the improved conditions under lights. McGrath said her team was focusing on “a few little tweaks†ahead of the semifinals, aiming to build momentum with a complete performance. Australia made one change to their playing XI, bringing back leg-spinner Georgia Wareham. On Alyssa Healyâ€s fitness, McGrath maintained that her recovery remains a “day-by-day†process, though the star wicketkeeper-batter participated in training on the eve of the match.

South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt admitted she would have also chosen to bowl first, given her sideâ€s success in chases so far in the tournament. She expressed pride in her teamâ€s collective batting efforts and described the fixture as a major opportunity to challenge one of the worldâ€s best sides. Wolvaardt emphasized the occasionâ€s significance, noting that South Africa have never topped the group stage in any World Cup format. The Proteas made two changes — Nadine de Klerk and Masabata Klaas came into the XI. With both teams already familiar with each otherâ€s strengths, McGrath playfully remarked that “bragging rights are on the line†in what promises to be a competitive contest.

South Africa Women (Playing XI): Laura Wolvaardt(c), Tazmin Brits, Sune Luus, Annerie Dercksen, Marizanne Kapp, Sinalo Jafta(w), Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Masabata Klaas, Ayabonga Khaka, Nonkululeko Mlaba

Australia Women (Playing XI): Georgia Voll, Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Annabel Sutherland, Beth Mooney(w), Ashleigh Gardner, Tahlia McGrath(c), Georgia Wareham, Alana King, Kim Garth, Megan Schutt

Source link