Joy and relief as Proteas finally break through World Cup barrier

South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt described her record-breaking century in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup semi-final against England as the highlight of her career, after the Proteas sealed their first-ever place in a World Cup final.

“It still feels a bit unreal,” Wolvaardt said after the match. “This is something you dream about as a kid, getting a century in a World Cup. It is a very special day and I am so glad we won in the end.”

Wolvaardt became the first captain to score a century in a knockout Women’s World Cup match, her commanding 169 from 143 balls laying the foundation for South Africa’s dominant victory. Her innings, marked by timing and control, helped secure a historic breakthrough for a team that had twice fallen short in the semi-finals.

“This has to be at the top of my career,” she said. “To win this against such a strong bowling side, this is right up there.”

Leading from the front

Wolvaardt said she and opening partner Tazmin Brits were determined to give South Africa a solid start. “We knew the start would be crucial. Tazmin Brits and I have been strong at the top of the order and that feeds into the rest of the order,” she said. “We knew it was a decent wicket and it was great we got to a big score on a flat pitch.”

Her innings showed the balance between patience and aggression that has defined her leadership. “I went with the momentum. I know I have the shots in me but I wanted to get to the 40th over to make way for the other girls to whack it,” she explained. “I was happy to get a few leg-side boundaries – I could have gone for that earlier.”

Kapp finds her rhythm

If Wolvaardt’s innings set up the victory, Marizanne Kapp’s bowling finished it. The all-rounder claimed 5/20, overtaking India legend Jhulan Goswami as the leading wicket-taker in Women’s World Cup history.

“Kappie was phenomenal,” Wolvaardt said. “Amazing to see her bowling like that. What she offers with the bat, she is like a two-in-one player and that is amazing.”

For Kapp, the performance came after a quiet tournament — and carried a sense of personal redemption. “To be honest, I probably haven't had the best World Cup personally,” she admitted. “Coming into this game, I knew I was due for a good performance. I feel like the past semi-finals I probably haven't been at my best and have not contributed the way I should have. So, I'm really happy that tonight I could make a difference in the result.”

Her early breakthroughs against Amy Jones and Heather Knight set the tone, and she later added the wickets of Nat Sciver-Brunt, Sophia Dunkley and Charlie Dean to complete a career-defining spell.

Focus turns to the final

For a team that has suffered repeated heartbreak in previous tournaments, the semi-final win represented both vindication and new motivation.

“I am very proud of the girls and the way we've been performing over the last couple of years,” Kapp said. “Not a lot of people gave us or believed in us, and look, the job is still not done, but we'll enjoy tonight.”

For Wolvaardt, the joy was matched by a sense of calm determination. As South Africa prepares for their maiden World Cup final, she knows the significance — and the responsibility — of leading a side that has finally broken through.