It was meant to be a walkover for England – a suggestion that had riled the South Africa captain, Sune Luus, before this semi-final. “Oh, that’s great, there’s no pressure on us then, we can just go out and enjoy it,” she had bristled at one reporter during the pre-match press conference.
And enjoy it they did – from the moment Luus won the toss and chose to bat, through a 96-run opening partnership between Tazmin Brits (68) and Laura Wolvaardt, who both struck half-centuries; before a quickfire 27 off 13 from Marizanne Kapp helped South Africa reach the dizzy heights of 164 for four. “We were the underdog today, and being the underdog makes you want to do better,” as Brits put it afterwards.
And enjoy it they did still more, as England’s “Jonball” tactics finally came to a sticky end, amidst a record-breaking over from Shabnim Ismail – who, according to the TV speed gun, clocked 80mph (the highest speed ever recorded in women’s cricket) – and a series of catches from former junior world javelin champion Brits, including a stunner at full stretch at midwicket to see off Alice Capsey.
Finally, after England stumbled to 140 for seven courtesy of an Ayabonga Khaka triple-wicket over, it was left to Ismail to sound the death knell. England needed 13 off the final over; Ismail kept her nerve, and rattled Heather Knight’s stumps in the process.
After a decade of disappointment, and when everyone had already written them off, South Africa had done it: they were into a World Cup final. The Newlands crowd erupted. Maybe they enjoyed it most of all.
“As a side, this match doesn’t define us,” Knight said. “We’ve made a mentality shift and changed the way we want to play. It’s something we should be proud of, and it’s something we’ll keep faith in.”
England had reached 50 without loss within the first five overs, as Danni Wyatt (34 off 30) and Sophia Dunkley (28 off 16) repeatedly cleared the ring fielders by a matter of inches.
While Australia claim to be the best fielding team in the world, Brits made a case for best individual fielder – her four catches seeing off Dunkley, Capsey, Wyatt and finally the prize wicket of Nat Sciver-Brunt. She took the last two with a bandaged arm after the team doctor had checked her over for broken bones, following her dive to snaffle the second. “My legs were so tired after the batting – I just reacted and it stuck!” Brits said. “Once they started moving me everywhere, the ball kept following me.”
Earlier, it had been Brits along with Wolvaardt who put England under pressure from the outset, reaching 67 without loss in the opening 10 overs. Knight turned once again to her spin triple threat – Sophie Ecclestone, Charlie Dean and Sarah Glenn – but this time, Plan A did not quite seem to work.
Brits took on Ecclestone in her opening over, with a premeditated sweep through midwicket, before Wolvaardt doled out similar treatment to Dean – slamming a six over long-off. Glenn fared little better, conceding 18 runs off one over, including consecutive sixes slammed over the leg side as Brits brought up her fifty in style. “We felt the pressure in the field, and were a little bit scrappy at times,” Knight conceded.
In the 12th, Brits took on Lauren Bell – just clearing Capsey at mid-off, before skying another ball which Katherine Sciver-Brunt might have reached at long-on had she not lost it in the bright sunshine.
Ironic, then, that when Katherine Sciver-Brunt was brought back in the 17th, she was so riled by the South African onslaught that she berated Alice Capsey for a misfield at mid-on, insisting on moving her halfway across the field. Two balls later, Dean failed to snaffle a catch in the same position; Sciver-Brunt was irate, and Dean got an earful.
Ecclestone did finally remove Wolvaardt in the 14th, the batter sending up a leading edge to Dean at point three balls after reaching her half-century; while Brits was caught at long-on in the 18th. Kapp, though, didn’t blink. Six days after Katherine Sciver-Brunt was smashed for 19 off the final over against India, she was entrusted at the death by Knight once again. This time, thanks to Kapp, the damage was 18 runs. This time, it cost England the game.
